LHC orders judicial inquiry

RPO Faisalabad admits the police were negligent in protecting the accused

Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday ordered a judicial inquiry into the killing of two Christian brothers outside the district courts in Faisalabad while in police custody.

Rashid Emanuel and Sajid Emanuel were leaving the court after the hearing of their case when they were gunned down by an unidentified person. The two had been accused of blasphemy.

RPO Faisalabad Aftab Ahmad Cheema also appeared before the court as ordered and admitted that the killings took place due to the negligence and inefficiency of police officials, who had been directed to ensure fool-proof security to the accused.

The Chief Justice ordered judicial inquiry into the incident at the request of the Punjab government and appointed district and sessions judge Faisalabad (Labour Court) Sheikh Muhammad Yousaf as inquiry judge. He also disposed of the suo motu proceedings with these directions.

Cheema told the court that two police officers, DSP Ashiq Ali and in charge investigation Inspector Muhammad Hussain, have been transferred and departmental action initiated against them for not following instructions regarding security for the accused.

The RPO further told the court that the police have clues of the killers and they would be arrested soon. The Chief Justice said it was unfortunate that people were taking the law into their hands due to police negligence and not waiting for courts to decide cases.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2010.