Senate committee rejects police briefing on custodial death

IGP conspicuous by his absence; senators say incident has brought shame

ISLAMABAD: The Senate’s Human Rights Committee has rejected the Punjab police’s briefing over the custodial death of ATM robbery suspect Salahuddin. The committee also took notice of the absence of Punjab IG Captain (retd) Arif Nawaz Khan from the meeting.

The IG Punjab and the heirs of Salahuddin have been summoned on September 19. The committee members expressed anger over the deaths of suspects during interrogation and the ban on the use of mobile phones at police stations.

Senator Kamran Michael said a person is handed over to the police for investigation, not to be killed. He added police all over the world were a symbol of protection, but the force in Punjab was inspiring fear among those it was sworn to protect.

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The Senate Standing Committee for Human Rights meeting was chaired by Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar. It examined, in detail, the death of Salahuddin during police custody. The committee members took stern notice of the absence of the Punjab IG.

Committee Chairman Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar said the image of the Punjab police was being tarnished all over the world. He added no forum was bigger than parliament and the IG should have attended the meeting to face the committee. He said that the briefing sent by the Punjab IG would not be taken into consideration and he should define who was responsible for such incidents.

He said the Punjab police chief should come to parliament and outline his reasons for banning the use of mobile phones at police stations. Khokhar pointed out that incidents of torture in private police cells had also come to the fore.

Senator Barrister Saif pointed out that police brutality had been declared a crime internationally. He questioned the performance of institutions under the government. He said that the subjugated class was being oppressed as there was nobody to care for them.

Senator Aisha Raza said that as members of parliament, such incidents had shamed them. She continued that they impacted national institutions and the police’s antics had become a source of shame. Raza reminded the participants that the police were responsible for the protection of lives and properties. The Punjab additional IG said the police condemned the deaths in custody, while the ban on the use of mobile phones was limited to police officials. He added cameras had already been installed in the room of SHOs.

The Rahim Yar Khan regional police officer informed the committee that an FIR had been registered against Salahuddin on charges of breaking and looting an ATM. After his death, the heirs of Salahuddin lodged an FIR against the police and alleged he had been killed during interrogation.

The RPO dismissed allegations that a hot iron had been used to torture the suspect. He added the skin of the deceased was sent for forensic tests and a report was yet to come. He said the facts over the circumstances in which Salahuddin died would come to the fore.

The RPO said the Salahuddin case had been shifted to Lahore from Rahim Yar Khan. He assured that appropriate punishment would be handed down if the allegations of torture were proven. He said the incident had put a question mark over the role of the police and added that all concerns would be addressed.

Senator Jahanzaib Jamaluddin said the matter should be investigated by the JIT. “How can the police investigate its own case?” he asked. Senator Kamran Michael, meanwhile, questioned why the skin of Salahuddin was removed.  The RPO informed the committee that the purpose of removing the skin was to determine if any torture had occurred.

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Investigation moved

The investigation of the Salahuddin murder case has been shifted from Rahim Yar Khan to Lahore.

It has been entrusted to the Punjab Deputy Inspector General of Information and   Technology (DIG IT) Zulfiqar Hameed. Orders to this effect were issued by Additional Inspector General of Investigations Abu Bakar Khuda Baksh.

District Standing Board RYK and RPO Bahawalpur have also given approval of the change. “The change of investigations has been recommended with the request to entrust the investigation of the case to a senior officer out of the district RYK in view of the sensitivity of the case,” the order read.

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