‘70 suspects probed in Raoof Hasan attack case’

The capital police on Saturday claimed to have investigated 70 people in connection with a case involving the attack on PTI leader Raoof Hasan. The police are also seeking help from the forensic laboratory, geo-fencing and NADRA to arrest the suspects at large.

SSP Investigation Hassan Jahangir Wattoo told a presser that 70 people, including members of the transgender community, have so far been investigated. The vehicle used in the attack had been identified, however, only half of the number plate was visible in the CCTV footage, he said, adding all owners were being investigated.

In the last month and a half, the SSP revealed, 438 cases were registered against drug traffickers and 448 individuals were arrested with 85% of the suspects having criminal records in the capital. The police recovered 60kg of hashish, 23kg of ice and 2,338 bottles of liquor from the suspects.

Wattoo said that the assets of drug traffickers would be seized and used to compensate for the damages, claiming the police had no political pressure against the peddlers. The SSP told the media that ‘ice’ is a highly dangerous drug which is produced locally.

He said that the investigation police added the murder section in the case of deceased teenager Muhammad Taha before the formal request of his mother. However, no one had been arrested yet and the investigation was continuing, the SSP added. The deceased's friends were able to be rescued with the help of the Rangers. Taha’s friends told the police that he did not want to go up the trail but wanted to go down, Wattoo said, adding no signs of torture or bullets were found on the deceased's body.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2024.