Finding Perween Rehman’s killers

When tragedy struck and Perween Rehman, the renowned social worker from Karachi, fell to a heartless assassin’s bullet on March 13, 2013, it was widely expected that our administration would work overtime to track down the killer(s) of such an iconic figure. Sadly, that does not appear to be the case. Police slackness in dealing with the case has filled legions of her admirers with rage, and justifiably so. The sloppy investigation into this high-profile murder case was bound to be rejected, as it has been by a judicial inquiry. While rejecting the police investigation, the head of the judicial inquiry suggested that the case be reinvestigated by some ‘efficient, honest and independent police officer’. The recommendation is a slap on the face of police officials whose clumsy handling of sensitive cases often exposes them to public ridicule.

The report also faults the apathetic, indifferent and casual attitude of the police in dealing with important cases of heinous crime, particularly the murder of a social worker like Perween Rahman, for creating a sense of insecurity which in the long run is likely to result in chaos and anarchy. A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, resumed the hearing of the petition on April 15, filed by 12 petitioners, including the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research and members of civil society. The petitioners had requested that the court constitute a judicial commission to investigate the murder.

We hope that the top court will act to bring about justice in the case swiftly so that the killers of Perween Rehman can be hauled up before the law. At the same time, we cannot but rue the fact that our justice system leaves much to be desired. It’s about time that those at the helm of affairs spared a thought on how to fill the gaps in the system and make it robust.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 16^th, 2014.

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