PHOTO: EXPRESS
This was stated by Islamabad Police Inspector General Aamir Zulfiqar Khan on Tuesday during a high-level security meeting at the Central Police office. The meeting was also attended by the newly-elected representatives of the Islamabad Bar Association (IBA).
The courts have been a flashpoint in recent months. Earlier in December, some illegal chambers of lawyers were demolished leading to the lawyers going on strikes and building additional chambers in protest. As a result, the police declared the lawyer’s chambers a security risk. Then on Saturday, two groups scuffled at the district courts and some of them fired into the air. It prompted the Margalla police to arrest 15 suspects while police officers deployed at the spot were suspended.
During Tuesday’s meeting, IGP Aamir heard the concerns of the lawyers including the construction of the new judicial complex.
Moreover, the IGP reiterated the development of an impeccable and strong relationship with the legal fraternity.
It was resolved that both police and Islamabad Bar shall overcome all legal issues through mutual help and cooperation.
It was further resolved by the IGP that the existing security apparatus at the courts shall be beefed up and strengthened in wake of the latest security situation.
IGP Aamir also told the visiting delegation about the measures and actions taken against drugs and land mafia since assumption of his charge as Islamabad’s top cop.
This meeting was also attended by AIG Establishment Kamran Adil, who is currently heading legal and prosecutorial affairs for ICT Police including president Advocate Ch Khanzada, vice president Adv Tahir Mehmood Raja, Gen Secretary Adv Raja Yasir Shakeel and other members.
Sadiqabad attack probe
One of the policemen wounded in the attack on the Sadiqabad police picket, Sajid, remains in critical condition while investigators have gotten a breakthrough forensics.
The two investigation teams formed to probe the incident have acquired footage from all nearby closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) where there was a suspicion of suspects fleeing.
According to a police officer who is part of the investigation, the police is working on four leads while it was also probing any enmity between the suspects and the policemen.
The officer said that they have questioned around 25 witnesses and suspects thus far but they have not gotten any constructive leads as yet while the police were waiting for a forensic report after geofencing the attack site.
However, forensics on the 18 bullet casings recovered from the site showed that a 9mm pistol had been used in the attack and that the same handgun had been used in some past attacks on the police as well.
The police official added investigations have concluded that only a single suspect, who had guns in his both hands, had attacked the picket. Despite that, the police were still investigating the possibility of the suspect had any accomplices.
On Monday, Rawalpindi Regional Police Officer Ahmed Ishaq Jehangir had summoned the Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) along with the heads of the investigation teams to get an update on the progress of the case and directed the investigation teams to cover all aspects for tracing the suspects.
According to sources, Jehangir has directed to take this case as a challenge and arrest the suspects using all the possible resources.
Missing man in custody
The Defense Ministry confirmed to a Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench on Tuesday that a father of six children, who went missing from Taxila last year, is in custody.
Yesterday, Commander Shafiq appeared before Justice Qazi Muhammad Amin and told the court that Sultan Zameen has been arrested by a security institution under various charges.
He added that the investigations against him are still underway. At this, the court disposed of the application with orders to conduct a meeting between the suspect and his family.
The court was hearing an application filed by the Inamur Raheem in which he claimed that Zameen had been missing ever since he was arrested by some personnel dressed in the uniforms of the Counter Terrorism Department on March 3, 2018, from an auto-workshop on GT Road in Taxila.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th, 2019.
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