Fake encounter: IG ordered to act against guilty officers
Accused say they were merely following orders from the top.
LAHORE:
The Lahore High Court on Tuesday ordered the Punjab Police inspector general to take action against those involved in the Nishtar Colony fake police encounter.
Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry was hearing the petition filed by Seema Bibi, mother of Asif Bhatti, one of the constables charged with the extrajudicial killings.
The petitioner said that her son and others charged with the fake shootout were merely following orders and that the real responsibility lay with the investigation DIG and the CCPO.
The petitioner requested that there names be included in the FIR.
Counsel for the petitioner, Aftab Ahmad Bajwa said that the youth, Shehbaz Butt, was killed by Nishtar Colony SHO and the investigation officer but they were not named in the case. Instead, the subordinate officers who had only fired few shots in the air, on the direction of the SHO were being prosecuted. He contended that the killing had happened on the orders of the CCPO.
The counsel submitted mobile phone records of the officers present at the scene to demonstrate that they were in contact with the CCPO and other officers when the boy was killed. He said that the SHO had not even been questioned.
The police have already submitted their case to the trial court.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2011.
The Lahore High Court on Tuesday ordered the Punjab Police inspector general to take action against those involved in the Nishtar Colony fake police encounter.
Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry was hearing the petition filed by Seema Bibi, mother of Asif Bhatti, one of the constables charged with the extrajudicial killings.
The petitioner said that her son and others charged with the fake shootout were merely following orders and that the real responsibility lay with the investigation DIG and the CCPO.
The petitioner requested that there names be included in the FIR.
Counsel for the petitioner, Aftab Ahmad Bajwa said that the youth, Shehbaz Butt, was killed by Nishtar Colony SHO and the investigation officer but they were not named in the case. Instead, the subordinate officers who had only fired few shots in the air, on the direction of the SHO were being prosecuted. He contended that the killing had happened on the orders of the CCPO.
The counsel submitted mobile phone records of the officers present at the scene to demonstrate that they were in contact with the CCPO and other officers when the boy was killed. He said that the SHO had not even been questioned.
The police have already submitted their case to the trial court.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 17th, 2011.