Kohistan video scandal: Fact-finding mission returns, but not empty-handed

The three-member team was only able to meet three of the alleged victims

ABBOTTABAD: A three-member fact-finding mission for the Kohistan video case returned to Dassu headquarters late on Saturday night, police officials said on Sunday.

While the team was unable to collect all the evidences required by the Supreme Court, they did not return completely empty-handed.

On orders from the apex court, a Kohistan District and Sessions Judge Shoaib Khan had led the three-member team to Bando Gaddar village in Palas Tehsil of Kohistan on Saturday to gather evidence of whether the five girls shown in a 2012 video clip, who were then said to have been killed on orders of a Jirga [tribal court].

The team also included Kohistan DPO Abdul Aziz Afridi and Haripur Deputy Superintendent of Police Kiran Naushad.

Sources said that during their trip, the team met with the parents of all four girls. However, only three girls were produced before the visiting officers and access to two others was denied. Their parents claimed that they were living in a far-off hilly area and were unable to make it for the visit of the team.

Complainant Afzal Kohistani, had claimed that the girls had been killed for ‘honour’ and buried without funeral rites.

Sources added that the mission members were also stopped from taking pictures of the girls citing tribal customs. The officers, however, recorded the thumb impressions of the three girls and other evidence which may be used to determine their identities.

The fact-finders, according to sources, are likely to submit their findings before the SC later this week.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28^th, 2016.