Lawyers contest findings: Mystery deepens over cause of judge’s death

JIT report says bullets fired by ADSC judge’s own guard took his life.

ISLAMABAD:

The mystery over the March 3 death of Additional District and Sessions Court (ADSC) Judge Malik Rafaqat Awan deepened on Saturday when lawyers disputed a Joint Investigation Team’s findings that bullets fired by the judge’s own guard, rather than a suicide blast, took his life.

According to the report of the JIT, which the chief commissioner in Islamabad formed under the supervision of SSP Operation Dr Rizwan Ahmed, the judge received two bullets, fired from the guard’s revolver, when a terrorist blew himself outside his office.

The report said the judge and guard were holding the door of the chamber to prevent the attackers from entering inside when the guard’s gun went off.

It said no evidence of a Kalashnikov bullet could be found from the chamber of the slain judge. Interestingly, the JIT report also contradicts what eyewitnesses had said.

“This is a completely wrong report and police have tried to save their skin,’’ said Islamabad District Bar Association (IDBA) President Naseer Ahmed Kayani.

He said lawyers had rejected the report, which, according to him, was based on ‘mala fide intentions’. He said he would challenge the report in Islamabad High Court IHC on Monday.

“On March 10 I will appear in the Supreme Court, which already has sought a comprehensive report from Inspector General Police (IGP) Sikander Hayat, and after that lawyer will decide their future strategy in compliance with SC order,” he said.

Kayani said the bar association would also submit an application for the registration of FIR against the interior minister ‘for misleading the nation’. He was alluding to Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s claim in the National Assembly that the judge was killed by his own guard.

The JIT report claimed the police guard Babar Hussain had confessed that he ‘accidentally’ pulled the trigger. However, a day earlier, Hussain had denied the allegation, when he appeared before an Antiterrorism Court (ATC).

Plea filed against policemen

Calling them responsible for the terror attacks in city district courts, the legal fraternity also filed an application, seeking the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against the IGP and SSP operations.

The IDBA president Kayani filed the application in Margalla police station seeking the registration of the FIR against the top brass of police.

According to the application, the police officials were responsible for the incident as they did not come to the spot immediately. “The incident took place at 8:45am and the SSP operation reached the spot at 11am which clearly indicates his irresponsible attitude,” said the application.

Margalla Police Station Station House Officer Khalid Mehmood confirmed that he received an application against his superiors. However, he said no FIR had been registered against them. Repeated, attempts were made to contact the IGP. But he was unavailable for comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2014.