Dr Shahid Malik murder case: Miffed by delays, Senate panel gives cops deadline to reply

Subcommittee on interior has asked police to file report within six weeks

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Interior and Narcotics Control has asked the interior secretary to submit a report on the investigation into the Dr Shahid Nawaz Malik murder case in coordination with Islamabad IG within six weeks.

The meeting was held on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Senator Rehman Malik.

The committee members expressed concern that no progress has been made in the case despite the passage of nearly two years.

Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Cardiologist Dr Malik was shot in the head by unidentified gunmen on February 14, 2015 as he exited the hospital after completing a surgery. He was rushed to CMH Rawalpindi, where he died six days later.

The Margalla Police Station had registered an FIR on the same day under sections 324 and 334, and added Section 302 after the doctor died.

The committee will hear the interior secretary, the Islamabad IG, Operations DIG, and the entire investigation team at its next meeting, when an initial report is due.

The committee also questioned the fact that during the time since his death, many postings and transfers have been made in the Islamabad police and that a different police officer has come to brief the committee every time one was
called upon.

The committee asked the DIG operations to address the concerns of the committee regarding as to why an investigation did not initially take place, and when the committee raised the matter, why did the process face delays.

Both sides agreed that the investigative team needs to stay closely engaged with the family of the victim and that zero progress on the case was embarrassing for the police.

Discussions deferred

The committee was scheduled to discuss the Police Order (Amendment) Bill, The Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, The Islamabad Registration (Amendment) Bill, and The Islamabad Restriction on Employment of Children Bill, all moved by Senator Azam Swati, The Smuggling of Migrants Bill, and The Trafficking in Persons Bill, both moved by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed. However, discussions on the bills were deferred due to the absence of the movers.

The committee also deferred discussion on The Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, due to the absence of its mover, the state minister for interior.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 9^th, 2016.