Directives on Pakistan Citizen’s Portal ‘ignored’ by authorities

Police claim investigation was carried out on scientific lines

LAHORE: The higher authorities seemed either unaware or willingly ignored the directives sent by Prime Minister Secretariat on Pakistan Citizen Portal, it has emerged on Friday.

On November 8, 2018, the case of the kidnapping a young girl Rimsha was registered in the area of Manawa police station. On February 13, Rimsha’s mother Shaheen Tariq sent an application on Pakistan Citizen Portal for not getting any response from the police. Prime Minister Portal directed the Chief Minister Complaint Cell to deal with the case on which Chief Minister Complaint Cell after 12 days on February 25, responded to the Pakistan Citizen that this case has been solved while in reality, the case was not resolved. On March 15, Shaheen Tariq, the mother of Rimsha, emailed again that she was still waiting for justice. On March 19, this case was seen on Pakistan Citizen Portal again and on the same day, the IG Punjab was asked to solve the applicant’s problem. On March 27, the applicant reported about the recovery of the girl on Pakistan Citizen Portal.

The applicant wrote on Pakistan Citizen Portal that police officials were trying to force her to give statements in their favour. The applicant further said that DSP Investigation Dr Inaam Wahid and DSP CIA Cantonment Rana Zahid Hussain did not corporate with them. Instead, they threatened the family and asked them to take the case back.

The IG office assured the Prime Minister Portal that the problem of victim family would be solved.

Talking to The Express Tribune, DIG Investigation Dr Inaam Wahid said the police traced the Rimsha case on modern scientific lines. He maintained that after the case was filed on the request of applicant Shaheen Tariq, the Investigation Police immediately engaged in trapping the case without any recommendation. The case was handed over to CIA Cant due to some complications and the girl was released and handed over to her family due to the special efforts of DSP Rana Zahid Hussain.

Punjab Chief Secretary and the IGP were unaware of the directives sent by Prime Minister Secretariat on Pakistan Citizen Portal.

The prime minister portal also directed the authorities to take actions against those who provided false information to the portal.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 13^th, 2019.