7 injured in shooting outside court

RAWALPINDI: Seven people were injured in a firing incident on Saturday morning outside a courtroom when a teenager opened fire on two murder suspects.

Babar Khan shot at two murder suspects Khan Nawaz and Muhammad Asif, who are brothers as well. Seven people, including three police officials, were injured.

The incident occurred outside the court of Additional Sessions Judge Iqbal Hussain Chaddar. Police apprehended Babar Khan as soon as he ran out of bullets, but his accomplice managed to escape.

In 2008, Khan Nawaz and Muhammad Asif were arrested for killing a man named Shahzad Khan. According to initial investigations, Babar Khan worked at the house of Shahzad’s brother, Shaukat Khan, who had ordered Babar to kill the under trial suspects.

Those injured were immediately shifted to District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ), Rawalpindi.

Khwaja Shareef, Chief Justice Lahore High Court, took suo moto notice of the incident. A notice was issued by the court to CPO Rawalpindi Visaal Fakhr Sultan ordering him to present himself in court on July 26 with all records and details relevant to the incident.

Saturday’s firing was the second such incident in front of the additional sessions court in three months. Overall, 15 shootings have taken place in front of the city’s district courts, killing 16 and injuring 27.

The Antiterrorism Courts recently shifted to a ‘no-go area’ outside the district courts complex, because of lack of security at the district courts.

Shareef had already taken strict notice of this lack of security. Last month, he summoned police officials to the Lahore High Court, Rawalpindi Bench, and ordered them to improve security, but the area is still not foolproof.

The district courts complex does not have a main gate, as it was broken around 16 months ago during the lawyers’ movement. Anyone can enter the complex through a security gate which is out-of-order as well. The 50 or so CCTV cameras installed there are also not working adequately. Of the 12 entry points to the courts, only two have walk-through gates, both of which are are out-of-order.

Khurram Masood Kiyani, Secretary General District Bar said, “We have requested the police to enhance security at the courts many times. We have asked for commandos to be stationed and security for suspects brought for hearings. We have also asked them for functional walk-through gates, but nothing has been done.”

Meanwhile, CPO Sultan visited the police officers injured as a result of the firing at DHQ. He inquired after their health and announced prizes for them as well.

A large number of police personnel were stationed at the DHQ emergency department. The police cleared the hospital guards and staff from the area as well, and did not allow anyone to enter until Sultan had left, causing inconvenience to some patients and their relatives.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2010.