Slain PTI leader Zahra Shahid Hussain. PHOTO: FILE
An FIR number 198/13 has been registered under the 302/34 section of the Pakistan Penal Code and section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act against two unidentified men.
Hussain was shot dead outside her house in Phase-IV Defence Housing Authority on May 18. The family had initially asked the police for time to complete the burial rites of the deceased before lodging the FIR. Later, the family refused, however, a probe into the assassination after which the police have registered an FIR on behalf of Gizri police station SHO Sohail Ahmed.
Ahmed told The Express Tribune that ‘I have recorded my statement in the FIR that the PTI Sindh senior vice-president was shot dead by two unidentified men outside her residence on May 18.’ He added that, as the nature of the incident has yet to be ascertained, he had stated in the FIR that the deceased was killed for ‘unexplained’ reasons.
Gizri DSP Azam Baloch, who is also a member of the investigation team, told The Express Tribune that the police had been prompted to register the case on behalf of the state after the family refused. “Nobody from the family or even the party approached us to register the case. The family assured us that they would register an FIR after they would get some free time, but they recently retracted their earlier statements and said they do not want a probe into the incident.” He added that, now that an investigation had been initiated by the state, the family could be called in for questioning by the police investigators if required.
PTI decides not to take names
At a press conference on Wednesday, PTI leaders explained that the party decided not to take names in the FIR after consulting its legal team. “The names can be included anytime as the case proceeds, said PTI central leader Firdous Shamim Naqvi. He did wonder why the police failed to name the suspects in the FIR lodged by the state. “This reflects an apparent bias in the conduct of the police when they failed to consider the statement of the head of a party whose office-bearer became a victim of target killing.”
Naqvi insisted the police should record Imran Khan’s statement after he held the Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain responsible for the murder on television.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 23rd, 2013.
COMMENTS (3)
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@Saad: family say that they do not want to cut a FIR
Saad Sahib, given the record of Pakistani Police, be honest to yourself, Do you REMEMBER by any chance, where they ever SOLVED any issue? your theory make family of lady, looks like more suspicious. have LITTLE mercy on them, my Janaab.
How can a family say that they do not want to cut a FIR, when a family members gets killed, and the party members dont want to cut a FIR, I believe that there is some thing other than outside forces that will make the PTI party and its leader look bad and childish if the real truth comes out or when
"He added that, now that an investigation had been initiated by the state, the family could be called in for questioning by the police investigators if required."
Seems Police have found out family's financial worth; let's see which family member "confesses" of the crime!!