FAZAL SHER

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday expressed regret over the attack at a private television cameraman by his security guards but he also blamed the cameraman for provoking his guard.

While talking to media persons outside the Accountability Court, he said that this unfortunate incident should never have taken place and that he was saddened like that of the journalist community. “Along with legal process against the guards by police, he will also take action against them,” he said.

The security guards of Sharif on Monday last violently assaulted a TV cameraman at the Parliament House. The media persons staged a protest on the arrival of Sharif at the Accountability Court.

Sharif said when he came out of the Parliament House, his chief security guard, namely Shakoor, while clearing the path for him pushed a cameraman as they headed for the car. “I told Shakoor this is not the way you pushed the cameraman. The cameraman while responding to Shakoor’s action hit him at forehead with his camera. Shakoor’s forehead also started bleeding,” he said.

“I said there was no need to react in such a way. I himself saw the cameraman hitting my guard and after that I do not know what happened,” he said, adding that he would take the incident to logical conclusion.

However, he said that he would take action against his guard, but both the guard and cameraman should be held accountable. He asked the media to conduct accountability of such people.

The city police have registered a first information report (FIR) against five persons including security guards of Sharif.

The FIR registered on the complaint of cameraman Wajid Ali named three guards of Sharif including Shakoor, Mohsin and Mansub and two unknown assailants. The case has been registered under the sections 355 and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

According to the FIR, Wajid said that he was attacked by two security guards upon the instructions of their chief while he was trying to take photographs of Sharif leaving the Parliament House building.

Later, the guards of Sharif namely Mansub and Mohsin were arrested by police and presented before a civil judge who sent them to jail on 14 days judicial remand.