Farzana received only two injuries, Punjab police claims

The report clarified that at the place of incident, no police official was deployed.

ISLAMABAD: Submitting a report in the honour killing of 25-year-old Farzana outside the Lahore High Court (LHC), the Punjab police have told the Supreme Court (SC) that as per the medical report, Farzana received two injuries - one on her head and the other on her leg.

The police have also revealed that during the scuffle, one unknown accused fired a shot which hit Farzana near her ankle.

After one shot, Sub Inspector of District Sialkot Muhammad Arif snatched the pistol due to which no further shots were fired.

“The father, Muhammad Azeem, hit Farzana with a brick while her [brother] Zahid and [cousin] Mazhar Iqbal also abated. Farzana expired [on] the spot before the arrival of police,” says the report that was submitted by Provincial Police Officer (PPO) Punjab Khan Baig in the SC. The copy of the report is available with the Express Tribune.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Hussain Jillani on May 30 took suo motu notice of the alleged honour killing of Farzana which occurred outside the LHC premises on May 27.

The CJ had asked the inspector general of the police (IGP) to submit a report regarding the incident.

The Punjab police has declared six nominated and 15 unknown accused in this murder case. Section 7 of Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 has also been added to it.

Giving a brief fact of the case, the report says that on May 27 when Farzana was coming to the LHC along with her husband and eight to 10 other family members from the office of lawyer at 13 Fane roads, they were intercepted in front of Salf Center, some 160 feet away from the Mosque Gate of the LHC, by her parents.

“A scuffle started between both  groups. The group consisted of 15 to 20 persons including her father Azeem and brothers Ghulam Ali, Zahid and other relatives.”

The report also said that the accused persons fled by taking advantage of the rush and the gathering of dozens of people, including lawyers.

It further said that the initial investigation was conducted by SI Muhammad Akhtar of PS Mozang, who inspected the crime scene and took in possession the two bricks and the 30 bore pistol that were used in the incident.

The police further claimed that Farazana had contracted a “Nikkah” with her cousin Mazhar Iqbal two year ago.

“She developed illicit relations with one Muhammad Iqbal and left her house after marrying him. Muhammad Iqbal was accused in a murder case of his first wife Asha Bibi. He remained a proclaimed offender in case FIR N0 492/09 dated 25-10-2009 u/s 302 PPC Syedwala. He was arrested on April 28, 2013 and released later on,” says the report.

The report also said that Farzana and Muhammad Iqbal got married on Jauary 4, 2014 while she had shown herself as unmarried.

It further stated that Mazahar Iqbal, the first husband of Farzana, registered a case in which her second husband was arrested. When he was released on bail, he took Farzana from Darulaman and recorded her statement u/s 164 Cr.P.C in a court of district Pakpattan.

It also stated that the couple had filed a writ petition in the LHC for quashing the FIR that had been registered against them. When they were going to the high court in connection with this case, the accused persons assaulted them.

The IG’s report claims that two special teams have been constituted regarding the arrest of the remaining accused.

It has also been clarified that at the place of incident, no police official was deployed.

Sub inspector Arif, who had intervened, was passing by to appear in his own case in the LHC, and the incident occurred within seconds on a busy road in a congested area.

The police have also attached the sketch of the crime scene, and the district and session judge Lahore is also perusing the matter on the administrative side.