Adil Najam
Punjab Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Shumaila Rana, of the PML-N, has been arrested by the Punjab police for allegedly stealing two credit cards and then going on a shopping spree with them. The PML-N leadership has said that the law will take its course. But this adds one more shocking story to what is already a litany of sorts.
The details are bizarre enough not to need an explanation. According to the Daily Times:
Ghalib Market police on Sunday registered a case against a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) female MPA for allegedly stealing two credit cards from a woman’s wallet and buying jewelery and clothes worth Rs 80,000 on those cards, the police said. The FIR No 551/09 was registered against the MPA under Section 379 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), on the complaint of Muqeet Salam, brother-in-law of Zaira Malik of Canal Bank.
The police said the accused MPA Shumaila Anjum Rana could not be contacted so far… He said Salam alleged in the application that his sister-in-law Zaira was in a fitness club on July 7 and found her credit cards missing from her purse. He said Zaira contacted the bank officials concerned who informed her that transactions worth Rs 80,000 had been made on her credit cards. Salam said the banks also informed Zaira that the accused purchased goods from a shop in Siddique Trade Centre.
The police quoted the complainant as saying that the shop owner showed the recorded CCTV footage to them and finally Zaira identified Shumaila, who is not a member of the club. He said they had also received the records of transactions in which Malik’s credit cards were used.
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Interestingly, The Nation reports that Ms. Rana is a member of the Punjab Assembly Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Auqaf, and more importantly, that she is also a member of Chief Minister’s Coordination Committee for the IDPs which deals with the Punjab Chief Minister’s Fund for the IDPs of NWFP.
The report in The Nation provides more context information:
This time it is not a male parliamentarian, rather to jump into the already-boiling fray of irregularities and illegalities by elected representatives is a female MPA, Shumaila Rana, who was ‘chosen’ on reserved seats to serve the masses. The Pakistan Muslim League-N has vowed to fulfil all legal formalities in investigating the case. On the other hand, if found guilty, she will lose her seat, as no convicted can become a parliamentarian, and stands disqualified as conviction as per the Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.
Previously, it were MNA Haji Pervaiz Khan from Rawalpindi and Minister Prisons Ch Abdul Ghafoor of the N-League, who indulged in impersonation and acted highhandedly at the Lahore Airport respectively. Interestingly, the MNA lost his seat after a committee found him guilty, and the Minister was given honourable exit from the charges by the PML-N leadership despite the fact that the committee found him guilty on more than two accounts. Prior to Shumaila Rana’s case, another N-League’s MPA Munawar Gill was indicted in a rape case. He is said to have been found innocent in the case.
The first timer to the Punjab Assembly Shumaila Rana, reportedly found guilty of stealing credit card from another female’s bag, and indulging in ‘illegal’ shopping, is member of the Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Auqaf. Moreover, she is also member of Chief Minister’s Coordination Committee for the Internally-Displaced People, which is an offshoot of Punjab Chief Minister’s Fund for the IDPs of NWFP.
Unmarried Shumaila Rana is daughter of Hidayat Ali, and she climbed the ladder of becoming an MPA by virtue of her mother Anjum Ara’s services to the party, as the latter has been worker of the party for about two decades. Anjum Rana, a retired schoolteacher of a private institute, was not a graduate, and after her successful canvassing for her daughter, a reserved seat was given to Shumaila Rana, who is said to be in her mid-20s. She is the first MPA from this family, and has nothing tangible to her credit for which she should have been given the slot. MPA with humble family background, she has been a vociferous supporter of women rights, and their empowerment. She had also promised to lobby for the charter of demands presented by women farmers recently.
If she is innocent, which she might be, then she should have revealed the other part of the story as she can get any top lawyer of the country. but its a lot of days passed and no solid counter proof has come upon.
The officials of PML (N) should think if chaudhary abdul ghafoor and munwar gil can be forgiven (with more severe charges) then why not shumaila rana? keep the game fair and even for everyone.
-Did one never enters into a jewelry shop and make bargains in one’s life?
or
-Is security cameras’ time operated by the Bank Alfalah?
or
-Was acquiring of a credit card for her what the Fairy Godmother’s spell could be for Cinderella?
or
-Why she revealed her true identity, and of her mother, before the shopkeeper if she was really guilty?
-If the shopkeeper is equally curious, he must (and I believe he is adapted and well trained) in preserving all her finger-prints (including the pen she held), did he took care of that? All I see is a confident shopkeeper, whose equanimity must be exemplary, for others. I suppose. :D
-The graphological analysis of the signature? (Even a child can do that)
She has not indulged in a fraud. She has been herself frauded upon! A friend can easily trick it with another friend. Come on guys, it’s common.
THIS IS A REAL SCANDAL! (obviously out somebody is jealous of her for … he knows why ;))
P.S. Congrats Shumaila! You will make it even many times through Hatak-e-Izzat! All I know is that you are not fully guilty. May be you were tempted. May be it was a conspiracy to mar your political career. Anyhow, Good Luck.
The head of the PML-N hijacks a plane, admits it, is convicted for it, and later has the decision overturned because he is in power.
So lets not get too worked up over this MPA, who is just following the behavior of her leader.
She may be guilty; of this and more!
She may have been setup. Does anyone know of a Pakistani woman who leaves her children or handbag unattended? Credit card stolen? Nearly impossible. And allegedly two shops processed credit card transaction without an ID?
Regardless.
But the lynch mob is ready. Where is the hanging tree? Got rope?
All of this fueled by an
Dear countrymen! when would sanity prevail in our beloved country. i am shocked how media in our country transforms an accused into a criminal. If someone is public figure he/she must be extremely cautious about his/her conduct but the sorry part is that our immature and “Breaking News Hungry” channels don’t even bother to wait for the other side of story to come. What does CCTV footage prove?? Absolutely nothing…Who knows the “brother in law” of complainant is Mr Truthful or has some motives… so media channels must wait before they start trail of someone by airing substandard and cheap comedy songs (Geo)… I wish someday somebody is clean enough to sue these channels….
Anyways welldone Punjab Government for upholding the law.
shahid