Botched up rescue: SHC orders joint investigation team to probe surgeon’s death

Police chief directed to submit detailed report by July 3.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Thursday directed the provincial police chief to constitute a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe into the events and circumstances that led to a botched up operation culminating in the killing of noted surgeon, Dr Aftab Ahmed Qureshi.

Surgeon Quresh lost his life during an encounter between his captors and a joint raiding party of Karachi Police and Citizens Police Liaison Committee in Qasimabad, Hyderabad.

A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar and Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi was hearing two petitions arising out of two separate letters written to Chief Justice of Sindh High Court; one by president of Pakistan Medical Association and another by a member of the Sindh Assembly on identical issue of increasing crimes in Sindh particularly kidnapping for ransom and killings.

The Advocate General Sindh, provincial home secretary, Sindh police chief and other high ranking police officers are respondents in the petition.

The first letter written by Doctor Waseem Shaikh, president PMA, requested the chief justice to take notice of the killing of Dr Qureshi who lost his life in a botched operation.  “The doctors are being specifically targeted as they are regarded as ‘soft target’ by criminals, gangs of kidnappers,” the letter said seeking orders for a ‘judicial inquiry’ into the death of surgeon.

The second letter written by MPA Sheharyar Mahar from Shikarpur stated that law and order situation in the district has deteriorated to a dangerous level. According to him, posting of “non-competent police officers on political grounds” is the basic cause behind the worsening law and order and increase in crimes.

Expressing its displeasure over delay in submitting a report about the killing of Dr Qureshi, the bench ordered that a JIT be formed to be headed by DIG Hyderabad, Sanaullah Abbasi, with members to be chosen by IGP Sindh.

The JIT was mandated to thoroughly probe the events and make a detailed report by July 3.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 22^nd, 2012.