Karak murder case: Alleged murderer arrested on court premises

Uzma Ayub, her mother and relative record statements in high court hearing.

PESHAWAR:

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) turned down a bail request by suspected assassin Ibrahim Shah and arrested him on court premises. Ibrahim is one of the accused in the murder of alleged rape victim Uzma Ayub’s brother.

The case hearing was held before the court of ATC judge Ibrahim Khan.

Ayub’s brother Alamzeb Khattak was shot dead on December 9, 2011, while escorting his sister to the hearing for an alleged gang rape case in a court in Karak. The case was later registered by Khattak’s brother Zafran at the Takhte Nusrati Police Station in Karak.

ASI Hakim Khan, Javed Shah, Rehmat Shah and Ibrahim Shah were accused of having killed Khattak. Police arrested ASI Hakim, Javed Shah, Rehmat Shah and Abdul Waheed. However, Ibrahim was absconding since the past year.

On April 22, Peshawar High Court’s (PHC) Justice Miftahuddin Khan accepted the bail plea of the other four accused.

Rape case trial

Meanwhile, a rape victim, her mother and another relative recorded their statements before ATC Judge Syed Azhar Ali Shah regarding the alleged rape case. The court, after recording statements of the three witnesses, adjourned the case hearing until January 2.

The Karak rape case had been taken up by the PHC in December 2011. However, on June 19 following seven months of high-level inquiries, the court closed the case with directions to the trial court to decide the case, according to evidence available.

The court also withdrew suspension orders of around 35 police personnel, including ASI Hakim Shah, when he offered an unconditional apology.

In November 2011, the rape victim had accused 13 people, including police officers, of keeping her in custody for over a year and repeatedly raping her.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2012.