Lawyers’ murder cases: City police urged to expedite investigations as DBA seeks justice
CPO to submit report to SC on May 28; lawyers to continue struggle for independent judiciary.
The motives behind the murders of Federal Investigation Agency Public Prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali and Advocate Naseem have not yet been ascertained. PHOTO: FILE
RAWALPINDI:
The Rawalpindi police have yet to make a breakthrough in their attempt to find the persons responsible for the killings of two senior lawyers and the kidnapping and torturing of several other Rawalpindi District Bar Association (DBA) members.
The Supreme Court (SC) took suo motu notice of the incidents and ordered City Police Officer (CPO) Abdur Razzaq Cheema to launch an inquiry in a bid to bring the culprits to book.
The lawyer community alleged that no investigation team had been constituted till now. “The CPO is in a better position to answer questions on the targeted attacks. He will be submitting a report to the SC on May 28,” said DBA President Israrul Haq.
Haq said action could be taken against Cheema under the contempt of court law if the report is not of a satisfactory standard.
“Our eyes are on the SC, and the decision it takes on the matter,” said DBA Secretary General Malik Zaheer Arshad, before adding that the lawyers would continue their struggle to support the rule of law.
Senior lawyer Anwar Dar echoed Arshad sentiments, stating that the community had no enmity with anyone and was merely striving to maintain an independent judiciary.
Cheema, newly-appointed Operations Senior Superintendent of Police Sikandar Hayat Tamman, and Rawalpindi police spokesperson Raja Fiaz could not be reached despite several attempts to contact them.
The motives behind the murders of Federal Investigation Agency Public Prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali and Advocate Naseem have not yet been ascertained.
Ali had been pursuing high-profile cases including the Benazir Bhutto murder, Hajj corruption and Mumbai attack cases.
The culprits of a third murder — that of senior Supreme Court (SC) lawyer Chaudhry Muhammad Khan — have already been apprehended by a Rawalpindi police investigation team.
Meanwhile, security officials who were on duty during VIP movement on February 18 confronted senior lawyer Malik Shafiq Ahmad as he was making his way to the judicial complex and manhandled him after a heated exchange.
Former Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly deputy speaker Raja Israr Abbasi, his brother Raja Riaz Abbasi, and senior lawyer Sardar Manzar Bashir were brutally tortured during targeted attacks. Bashir, who was kidnapped from outside the Rawalpindi Medical College premises, claimed that he was detained by his torturers for two hours before being released in Shahpur Village on Adiala Road.
He added that Rescue 1122 found him and shifted him to Benazir Bhutto Hospital, where he continues to gradually recover from his injuries.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 27th, 2013.
The Rawalpindi police have yet to make a breakthrough in their attempt to find the persons responsible for the killings of two senior lawyers and the kidnapping and torturing of several other Rawalpindi District Bar Association (DBA) members.
The Supreme Court (SC) took suo motu notice of the incidents and ordered City Police Officer (CPO) Abdur Razzaq Cheema to launch an inquiry in a bid to bring the culprits to book.
The lawyer community alleged that no investigation team had been constituted till now. “The CPO is in a better position to answer questions on the targeted attacks. He will be submitting a report to the SC on May 28,” said DBA President Israrul Haq.
Haq said action could be taken against Cheema under the contempt of court law if the report is not of a satisfactory standard.
“Our eyes are on the SC, and the decision it takes on the matter,” said DBA Secretary General Malik Zaheer Arshad, before adding that the lawyers would continue their struggle to support the rule of law.
Senior lawyer Anwar Dar echoed Arshad sentiments, stating that the community had no enmity with anyone and was merely striving to maintain an independent judiciary.
Cheema, newly-appointed Operations Senior Superintendent of Police Sikandar Hayat Tamman, and Rawalpindi police spokesperson Raja Fiaz could not be reached despite several attempts to contact them.
The motives behind the murders of Federal Investigation Agency Public Prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali and Advocate Naseem have not yet been ascertained.
Ali had been pursuing high-profile cases including the Benazir Bhutto murder, Hajj corruption and Mumbai attack cases.
The culprits of a third murder — that of senior Supreme Court (SC) lawyer Chaudhry Muhammad Khan — have already been apprehended by a Rawalpindi police investigation team.
Meanwhile, security officials who were on duty during VIP movement on February 18 confronted senior lawyer Malik Shafiq Ahmad as he was making his way to the judicial complex and manhandled him after a heated exchange.
Former Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly deputy speaker Raja Israr Abbasi, his brother Raja Riaz Abbasi, and senior lawyer Sardar Manzar Bashir were brutally tortured during targeted attacks. Bashir, who was kidnapped from outside the Rawalpindi Medical College premises, claimed that he was detained by his torturers for two hours before being released in Shahpur Village on Adiala Road.
He added that Rescue 1122 found him and shifted him to Benazir Bhutto Hospital, where he continues to gradually recover from his injuries.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 27th, 2013.