Moving on: Life returns to normal in Pannu Aqil, peace rally held

Laboratory chief claims that no medical reports or specimen were sent to him.

SUKKUR:

After a two-day shutdown caused by the violent reaction to the alleged sexual assault of a Kalhoro girl, the main market in Pannu Aqil finally opened for business on Saturday.

The police stayed on high alert, however, to pre-empt that no further attacks on the Hindu community.

The Pannu Aqil SHO said that life had returned to normal and security had been intensified throughout the city. The HRCP had earlier issued a note saying that the violence against the Hindus had to be curbed.

Men from the Kalhoro clan, the Hindu panchayat, Sindh Taraqi Pasand Party (STPP), Jeay Sindh Tehreek, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam and Jeay Sindh Mahaz organised a token peace rally. The STPP’s Jam Fatah Samejo, lawyer Jamal Nasir Bullo shouted slogans against the suspects as they walked from Eidgah Chowk to Shahi Bazaar.

“Criminals took advantage of the incident and attacked Hindu property on Thursday, causing them a massive loss,” said Samejo and Bullo. “Although the police did good work, they have only nominated seven suspects in the case.” They demanded the government take action, compensate Abdul Sattar Dayo’s family and hold an inquiry into the allegations.

Twisted facts?

Meanwhile, the case has taken an odd turn. On Friday, the taluka hospital in-charge, Dr Suhrab Shaikh, had said that he had sent the medical examination report of the seven-year-old to the Rohri chemical laboratory. He had also said that the report had shown that no assault had taken place. However, the person in charge of the laboratory, Dr Abdul Khaliq Jatoi, has claimed that no reports or specimen were sent to him. He added that a sample must be taken from the body within 24 to 48 hours of the assault.

Dr Suhrab did not respond to attempts to contact him over this discrepancy.



Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2011.