Former IGPs vow to support convicted cops morally, financially

The conviction has severely demoralised police force.

LAHORE: The Association of Former Inspectors General Police (AFIGP) will provide every possible support, including moral, legal and financial assistance, to the families of the convicted police officers Saud Aziz and Khuram Shahzad.

This was said by the AFIG President Iftikhar Rasheed when speaking to The Express Tribune. He said the association would also cater to the needs of the children of these officers in their absence, for which an account has been opened to raise funds.



Earlier, in a meeting held on September 6, AFIGP expressed grave concerns over the convictions of police officers Saud and Khuram in the Benazir Bhutto murder case. In a statement issued after the meeting, the representatives of AFIGP said such harsh convictions had severely demoralised the police force.

The association had resolved to take up the matter on all relevant forums to ensure that justice was meted out to the officers. It also resolved to provide all possible assistance to the officers in fighting their cases in higher courts and extending its full support to their families.

AFIGP General Secretary Kamaluddin Tipu, while expressing his reservation to The Express Tribune, was astonished at the conclusion of the 10-year-old case.

“This precedent- punishing the saviours and freeing the terrorists- will lead the country to devastation,” he said.

Tipu said it was wrong to hold the police officers accountable as the decision to clean the crime scene was taken according to circumstances by the police officers. As per the police rules, they could wash the crime scene after collecting evidences, which was done by Saud and Khuram.

No action: Conviction on rights abuses negligible

He said there was a severe law and order situation in Rawalpindi after the murder of Benazir Bhutto. Everyone, including politicians and media personnel, rushed to the crime scene that made it difficult for the police to keep the scene intact, he added.

He further said the UN commission considered international best practices as parameters during their investigations and completely ignored the cultural sensitivities, ground realities and law and order situation.

On allegations of not conducting a post-mortem, he expressed that consent of the family mattered in this step. “How can police be responsible for it when the family of the victim, top leadership of PPP, PML-N and other top brass of the country did not ask for it?”

Former additional IG Sarmad Saed Khan said the conviction of police officers was in contravention of legal standards. He was unaware of the ‘actual motives’ behind this decision. “It seems as it is an attempt to defame judiciary,” he added.

He said suspected militants who confessed to their crime before the judicial magistrate were saved in this decision. “Convicting police officers is much easier which we are witnessing in this case,” he added.

He added that the decision created hue and cry among serving police officers as it had made it difficult for them to perform their job.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2017.