LAHORE:
The Punjab government has suspended the director of the Forensic Science Agency (FSA) for issuing a fake firearms forensic report to benefit an accused in a high profile murder case.
The case in question is the killing of former attorney general of Pakistan Muhammad Sardar Khan in Islamabad last year. The home secretary suspended director FSA Amir Ali on August 29, on account of submitting the fake report. A charge sheet has been issued against him on charges of corruption, abuse of authority and inefficiency, said an official while requesting anonymity.
Sardar served as counsel for the Khyber-Pakthunkhwa government in a dispute case of public land situated in Peshawar, which was illegally grabbed by Rouhullah – the main accused in Sardar’s murder case.
After managing to get hold of Sardar in Islamabad last year, Rouhullah gunned him down on February 3, 2010 and fled the country, but was captured by Interpol.
The investigating police had sent 11 empty shells collected from the crime scene to the FSA, along with a pistol that was recovered from Rouhullah’s custody for a forensic examination.
Ali prepared a report in which he maintained that the empty shells were not fired from the confiscated pistol. However, Sardar’s son Muhammad Abrar Khan alleged that the director prepared a fake report and tampered with the bullets to benefit the accused in trial. The director got millions of rupees from the accused to prepare a fake report, Abrar alleged.
The complainant challenged the report and on his request, the Punjab government constituted a board, comprising forensic experts to re-examine the empty shells and pistol. The board in its report maintained that some of the bullets were in fact fired from the same pistol and may have been used to kill Sardar.
Cold-blooded murder
Rouhullah and two accomplices – advocate Safiullah and Waqif Mehmood – contacted Sardar through a woman, namely Rubina Suleman, with the pretext to pursue a case. Safiullah managed to arrange a meeting with Sardar at a hotel in Islamabad.
On February 3, 2010, while on his way to the hotel, Sardar’s vehicle was chased and intercepted by Rouhullah and three others in Islamabad.
Rouhullah pulled Sardar out of his car and opened fire on him, killing him instantly.
An FIR was registered with the Shalimar police on the complaint of Sardar’s son. The next day, Rouhullah killed Rubina Suleman – the only witness in the incident. Subsequently, a case was registered against him in Peshawar.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2011.
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