Extra-judicial killings: District judge told by LHC to conduct inquiry in a week

Nine men killed by police in ‘encounters’ on September 18.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court on Wednesday directed the district and sessions judge to conduct an inquiry in one week into the killing of nine men by the police in Lahore, Burewala and Rahim Yar Khan on a single day.

The Punjab advocate general, the home secretary, the inspector general of Punjab Police, the Crimes Investigation Agency SP and the SSP (Operations) appeared before the court on Wednesday.

The home secretary said that a judicial magistrate had already begun an inquiry into the nine deaths in encounters on September 18.

Justice Syed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi expressed dissatisfaction at this, saying that a more senior judge should investigate. He directed the district and sessions judge to conduct a judicial inquiry into the three killings each in the three cities and to submit a report in seven days.

The judge also directed the home secretary and IG to set up a high level committee to probe the cases and report to the court. The judge adjourned proceedings till October 17.

The events of September 18 came to light while the court was conducting proceedings on a petition filed by Salma Bibi. She accused the police of murdering her five sons in various cities in the Punjab and then covering up the killings to make it look like they died in shootouts (not on September 18). She has asked the court to provide protection to her four remaining sons.

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