Rimsha case: Senate chides police for haste in blasphemy FIR

Standing committee summons Rehman Malik on rights encroachments.

ISLAMABAD:

A day after Rimsha Masih was released on bail and flown to a safe location under heavy protection, the Senate standing committee on human rights took Islamabad police to task for demonstrating haste and ignoring due process in registering a blasphemy case against the accused.

Questioning the performance of the capital police, the committee grilled Inspector General of Police Bin Yamin for failing to stand up to pressure from the local community.

Describing the required legal process for registering a blasphemy case, Senator Raza Rabbani said that “in blasphemy cases it is binding on the police that an officer not lower than the rank of superintendent police should lodge the FIR only after the approval of a sessions court judge.”

This process, the committee noted, had been ignored in haste in the Rimsha case. The IGP Islamabad defended the decision of Ramna police station to register a case by explaining to the committee that police had been compelled to register an FIR after the local community members had exerted immense pressure.

He said locals had confided in the police that “protesters blocking the Kashmir Highway had plans to make provocative announcements through mosques regarding the alleged burning of Quran to turn it into a serious situation in the area.”

His contention was that by registering a case immediately the police had pre-empted “a Gojra-like situation” –referring to a 2009 mob attack on a Christian colony.

Bin Yamin confirmed earlier news reports by briefing the committee that Qari Muhammad Khalid Jadoon had fabricated evidence by placing burnt pages containing Quranic verses in Rimsha’s bag.

Giving details of the developments in the case that has stirred controversy, Bin Yamin said that the girl had been released in compliance with the directives of Islamabad district and sessions court after multiple witnesses recorded their statements against Qari Khalid.

Human rights encroachments

Chairing the Senate committee, Afrasiab Khattak took note of the increasing human rights encroachments in the country and summoned Interior Minister Rehman Malik at the next session of the committee to submit replies to human rights issues concerning sensitive cases.

Responding to a query of the committee, Additional Inspector General (AIG) Punjab police Malik Khuda Bakhsh Awan informed the committee that during the last six months, 208 police encounters have taken place in the province. In these encounters, 23 personnel of the Punjab police have been killed, whereas more than 174 criminals have been killed and 198 arrested.

The committee expressed grave concern at the high number of encounters and highlighted the potential for human rights abuses in such instances. The ministry of human rights reported to the committee that Pakistan had signed seven international conventions related to human rights. However, conventions regarding refugees and enforced disappearances have not been signed or ratified yet.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2012.