Alleged encounter: Mother of slain brothers told to cooperate with police
Family expresses lack of confidence in investigators
Family expresses lack of confidence in investigators. PHOTO: FILE
RAWALPINDI:
A district judge Monday directed the mother of two brothers, killed by RA Bazaar police in an alleged encounter last month, to appear before the very police investigators in whom she had already expressed no confidence.
On February 22, brothers 30-year-old Muhammad Irfan and 29-year-old Waseem Anwarul Haq had been killed in an alleged encounter with R A Bazaar police which allegedly took place when police said they had raided a house in Quaid-i-Azam colony looking for Abdul Manan, another brother of the two and wanted in a motorbike theft case. Police had claimed that they were attacked and in the ensuing exchange of fire, Irfan and Waseem were killed while two officers suffered bullet wounds.
Accusing police of killing her sons in a fake encounter, the mother of the two brothers, Balqees Akhtar, had approached a district and sessions court with a plea to register a case against the police for the murder of her two sons.
On Monday, ADSJ Gulfaraz Ahmed Khalid directed Akhtar to appear before investigation officers at the Saddar Berooni police station who were probing into a case registered against her seven sons on terrorism charges.
The judge, in his order, noted that since police had already registered a case over the encounter, Akhtar must appear before investigators and record her version.
The court also directed the investigation officer to record Akhtar’s version. Further, if any cognisable offence surfaces in her statement, the judge directed police to proceed in accordance with section 154 of CrPC.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Akhtar’s older son Nadeem Anwarul Haq said that their family was dissatisfied with the order since they had no confidence in Saddar Berooni police.
He added that they wanted to a separate case registered against the police officers who were involved in the encounter in which two of his brothers were killed. Further, he said that they wanted that the case should either be investigated by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) or by police officials who are not serving in Rawalpindi.
Akhtar, in her petition, had accused DSP Cantonment Raja Taifoor Akhtar, R A Bazaar SHO Malik Sajid and other police officials had arrested Irfan and Waseem from their house in Quaid-i-Azam colony and later shot them dead in a fake encounter.
Earlier on Monday, City Police Officer Israr Ahmed Abbasi told the court that the petitioner had not approached the police for registering a separate FIR against the police officers.
Abbasi further complained that the family did not join ongoing police investigations in the matter despite repeated calls from investigators.
Noting that the Punjab chief minister had also formed a high-level team to look into the incident, he urged the district and sessions judge to initiate a judicial inquiry into the allegations levelled by the petitioners.
The CPO also noted that DSP Taifoor was not a part of the raiding party.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 14th, 2017.
A district judge Monday directed the mother of two brothers, killed by RA Bazaar police in an alleged encounter last month, to appear before the very police investigators in whom she had already expressed no confidence.
On February 22, brothers 30-year-old Muhammad Irfan and 29-year-old Waseem Anwarul Haq had been killed in an alleged encounter with R A Bazaar police which allegedly took place when police said they had raided a house in Quaid-i-Azam colony looking for Abdul Manan, another brother of the two and wanted in a motorbike theft case. Police had claimed that they were attacked and in the ensuing exchange of fire, Irfan and Waseem were killed while two officers suffered bullet wounds.
Accusing police of killing her sons in a fake encounter, the mother of the two brothers, Balqees Akhtar, had approached a district and sessions court with a plea to register a case against the police for the murder of her two sons.
On Monday, ADSJ Gulfaraz Ahmed Khalid directed Akhtar to appear before investigation officers at the Saddar Berooni police station who were probing into a case registered against her seven sons on terrorism charges.
The judge, in his order, noted that since police had already registered a case over the encounter, Akhtar must appear before investigators and record her version.
The court also directed the investigation officer to record Akhtar’s version. Further, if any cognisable offence surfaces in her statement, the judge directed police to proceed in accordance with section 154 of CrPC.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Akhtar’s older son Nadeem Anwarul Haq said that their family was dissatisfied with the order since they had no confidence in Saddar Berooni police.
He added that they wanted to a separate case registered against the police officers who were involved in the encounter in which two of his brothers were killed. Further, he said that they wanted that the case should either be investigated by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) or by police officials who are not serving in Rawalpindi.
Akhtar, in her petition, had accused DSP Cantonment Raja Taifoor Akhtar, R A Bazaar SHO Malik Sajid and other police officials had arrested Irfan and Waseem from their house in Quaid-i-Azam colony and later shot them dead in a fake encounter.
Earlier on Monday, City Police Officer Israr Ahmed Abbasi told the court that the petitioner had not approached the police for registering a separate FIR against the police officers.
Abbasi further complained that the family did not join ongoing police investigations in the matter despite repeated calls from investigators.
Noting that the Punjab chief minister had also formed a high-level team to look into the incident, he urged the district and sessions judge to initiate a judicial inquiry into the allegations levelled by the petitioners.
The CPO also noted that DSP Taifoor was not a part of the raiding party.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 14th, 2017.