Killing of rape victim’s brother in Karak: Committee wants cases registered against cops | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Killing of rape victim’s brother in Karak: Committee wants cases registered against cops

Javed Aziz Khan

PESHAWAR: A high-level inquiry committee headed by a deputy inspector general (DIG) of police has recommended registration of cases against the police officers of Karak for their failure to protect the brother of the young rape victim, Uzma Ayub, and allowing a procession to be staged against the judiciary.

The inquiry report stated: “The procession was allowed to be held without taking proper security measures that led to the controversy of chanting slogans against the judiciary and during which Uzma Ayub’s brother Alamzeb was killed in presence of the DSP, two SHOs and others. Therefore, it is recommended that proper cases may be registered in this regard.”

The report was submitted to the Peshawar High Court (PHC) by a high-level team headed by DIG (Investigation) Mohammad Idrees Khan.

The committee said it was generally believed that the Karak Police facilitated the killers of Alamzeb who escaped from the scene in the presence of the policemen on December 9.

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) had taken suo moto action in the assassination of Alamzeb near the District Courts premises in Karak on December 12 and directed the inspector general of police (IGP) to remove the district police officer and other concerned cops and probe the matter through senior officials.

The inquiry committee also recommended registration of a case against Sub-Inspector Muzaffar, who allegedly snatched the memory card of the cellular phone from the deceased, Alamzeb, when he was recording the VIP protocol given to Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Hakim Khan being produced in the court in the kidnapping and rape case of his sister. Alamzeb was killed moments after he recorded the film.

The committee has also recommended fixing of responsibility as to why no case was registered with reference to the prosecution. “Both the Karak Police and investigation team at the Central Police Office failed to properly investigate the FIR number 363/2010 and, therefore, the officers of both the departments are recommended to be proceeded against departmentally,” the committee recommended. The FIR was registered by Bilqis Jana in 2010 in the kidnapping of her daughter Uzma Ayub soon after the police raided her house to arrest her son who was wanted in an attempted murder case.

Uzma Ayub, after her reported escape from the custody of kidnappers almost one year after abduction, appeared before a local court and recorded a statement under Section 164 of the CrPC on September 19, 2011. The teenage girl stated that several persons including policemen had raped her during captivity.

The victim later told the PHC in October that she was kidnapped by Nazar Khan, Karim and Naseebullah son of Nazar Khan on October 9, 2010. She said three policemen including Station House Officers (SHOs) Pir Mohsin Shah and Ameer Khan and Sub-Inspector Hakeem Khan assisted the kidnappers in her abduction.

She stated in her statement under Section 164 of the CrPC that she was raped by several persons, including policemen, throughout the time she was kept hostage and now she is six-month pregnant.

After the cops were arrested and the case was being heard in the local court, unknown criminals killed her brother Alamzeb on the day when the family had planned to shift to Peshawar for security reasons. Alamzeb was killed near the court premises where over 200 relatives and friends of the arrested ASI, Hakim Khan, carried out a procession and allegedly chanted slogans against the judiciary.

There were reports that the uniformed cops were also among the protesters. However, the inquiry committee said that nothing had been proven regarding the participation of members of the Karak Police in the protest.

Source: News