BHC orders FIR against principal, clerk in student suicide case

Justice Shakeel Baloch questions home secretary over delay in constituting judicial commission for formal inquiry

QUETTA: The Balochistan High Court (BHC) ordered on Thursday registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against the principal and a clerk of Inter Girls College Muslim Bagh in connection with the suicide of a female student two weeks ago.

Directions of lodging an FIR into the case comes only a day after the court admitted a petition field by the Balochistan High Court Bar (BHCB) to lodge the FIR and a protest demonstration staged by Saqiba Hakeem Karar’s family members and relatives outside the BHC, demanding the registration of a case.

During case proceedings, BHC Judge Shakeel Baloch questioned the provincial home secretary about the delay in constituting a judicial commission for a formal inquiry into the incident as he ordered the provincial administration to submit a copy of the FIR in the court during the next hearing of the case on Friday (tomorrow).

Karar had allegedly committed suicide after her admission forms were rejected to be sent for intermediate exams by Inter Girls College Muslim Bagh Principle Abida Ghos on February 12.

“We have filed a writ-petition in the honourable BHC, taking stance that freedom of speech is the right of all students and the court has accepted our application for further hearing,” Abdul Ghani Khilji, president BHCB, told The Express Tribune.

Following the application the court had issued notices to IG Police, SP Qilla Saifullah, Secretary Home, Deputy Commissioner Qilla Saifullah and DPO Muslim Bagh. “We are optimistic for justice as the court accepted our constitutional petition and called the hearing on Thursday morning 10 am,” Ghani Khilji added.

A large number of protesters had also staged a sit-in at the entrance of the court and chanted slogans for justice for Karar. The students carried placards and banners demanding judicial commission to probe Saqiba’s suicide and arrest the accused who forced her to drink poison.

“Despite the announcement of the provincial home minister, the judicial commission is yet to be constituted,” Karar’s father Abdul Hakeem had told a press conference. “We are compelled to protest because the provincial government and local administration aren’t taking serious my daughters’ death.”

Representatives from different political parties, including the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Pakistan Peoples Party, Awami National Party and Jamaat-e-Islami also took part in the protests and urged the government to form a judicial commission to probe the case.

Saqiba Hakeem Karar was a vehement vocal for girls’ education and she protested for senior professors in her college in August last year. She allegedly ended her life by the intake of hair dye poison after her admission forms were rejected by the principle.