Torture of accused in Khalilur Rehman case: LHC orders FIR against cops

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has directed the Director General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to register a formal complaint and initiate proceedings against police officials accused of torturing Amina Arooj, who is involved in the high-profile kidnapping-for-ransom case of playwright Khalilur Rehman Qamar.

Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh issued the order after reviewing a medical report from the Services Hospital, which confirmed that Amina Arooj had been subjected to physical torture while in custody.

The case came to light after Amina's mother filed a petition in the LHC, alleging that her daughter was arrested under sections 365-A and 395 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

The petition further claimed that Amina was severely tortured, both physically and mentally, during her physical remand, resulting in serious injuries.

On August 20, Amina was presented before the LHC, where she confirmed the allegations. However, the police denied any involvement in the torture.

The LHC ordered the DG FIA to file a complaint against the implicated officers and to proceed with legal action under the 2022 Act.