Senate body dissatisfied with probe into ‘live burial’ of Baloch women | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Senate body dissatisfied with probe into ‘live burial’ of Baloch women

ISLAMABAD: A Senate body on Friday gave a deadline of one month to Balochistan Police Inspector General Asif Nawaz to submit an inquiry report about the alleged live burial of five women in Balochistan.

Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights members expressed their dissatisfaction over the performance of the police in apprehending the ‘real’ culprits, and suggested the state should become a complainant in order to pursue the case.

They said the police should arrest influential people allegedly involved in the case, and include a provincial minister and the Naseerabad district nazim in the investigation.

Preliminary reports presented to the committee, which was presided over by chairman Senator SM Zafar, revealed that the bodies of two women were exhumed but the post mortem report was vague.

The committee observed that the progress in the case was poor as only four accused had been arrested. The police have not implicated tribal elders involved in the killings.

National Police Bureau Director General Tariq Khosa told the committee the bureau had imposed anti-terrorism charges on unidentified suspects involved in the case.

Leader of the House in the Senate Raza Rabbani disagreed with a suggestion to include two senators in the investigation team.

Female member of the committee Senator Yasmeen Shah said she had been facing death threats after highlighting the case in the House. She said Senator Israrullah Zahri had conveyed to her that 12 people from a Baloch tribe were allegedly plotting to kill her.
Source: Daily Times
Date:9/13/2008