Woman’s murder case: CPO recommends calling back officer guilty of negligence

A joint investigation team found that the DSP failed to provide security cover to the complainant.

RAWALPINDI:

In what appears to be another classic case of trying to bell the cat after it has run away, the garrison city’s top cop has requested the chief of Punjab Police to recall an officer accused of negligence from Africa, where he is currently on deputation.

Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) Azhar Hamid Khokhar has written to the chief of Punjab Police to call back a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) from Sudan where he is posted with the UN peace mission for being indirectly responsible for a woman’s murder.

DSP Malik Tariq Mehboob is accused of negligence that led to the murder of a woman over a property dispute. Imtiaz alias Taji Khokhar’s gunmen are said to have committed the crime. Imtiaz, is the younger brother of National Assembly former deputy speaker Nawaz Khokhar.



The CPO has requested the IGP Punjab to call back DSP Mehboob after a joint investigation team (JIT) led by Lahore Crime Branch DIG Abu Bakkar Khuda Bakhsh disovered incriminating evidence against the DSP.The official was accused of not taking sufficient security measures to protect Sabira Bibi, who was fighting a case to win back possession of her land. Sabira was forced to get out of her car to identify the disputed five kanals by the police, which exposed her to a hail of bullets.

Talking to The Express Tribune, CPO Khokhar confirmed that the letter had been sent to the IG as the DSP had left to join UN peacekeepers in Sudan after getting a No Objection Cerificate from the central police office in Lahore.

He said a fresh investigation report under section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code would be submitted to the trial court based on the findings of the JIT. The team was formed on the directions of the chief minister Punjab following the murder of the woman in broad daylight last August.

The Airport Police allegedly failed to provide security cover to the deceased woman despite her request to senior police officials to provide her protection from Imtiaz against whom she had filed a civil case.

The JIT had declared 22 persons responsible for the death of Sabira Bibi, including Civil Lines DSP Mehboob, Airport SHO Afzal Shah and Gulzar-e-Quaid Police Post In-charge Asmat Mehmood and constables Arshad and Ishtiaq deputed for the deceased woman’s security.

The trial court has declared Imtiaz Khokhar and his two sons proclaimed offenders after they managed to elude arrest.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2013.