Murder case: Lashari's mother appeals to CJP to take suo motu notice for security threats

She says that suspicious cars and motorcycles roam around her house

KARACHI: The mother of Sulaiman Lashari, Erum Naz, appealed to the chief justices of Sindh and Pakistan to take suo motu notice for the security threats faced by the family and lawyers of the deceased teenager.

She was addressing a press conference at Karachi Press Club on Tuesday. The 18-year-old O' Levels student, Lashari, was killed allegedly by another teenage boy Salman Abro, son of SSP Ghulam Sarwar Abro, and his guards at his house in Defence Housing Authority on May 8 this year.

"I appeal to the Chief Justice of Pakistan and to the Sindh High Court chief justice to take suo motu notice for providing security to our family and lawyers" said Naz. "One of our lawyers, Faisal Siddiqui, has been receiving threatening calls from different phone numbers to backtrack from the case."

"We are still not provided with security despite repeated assurances by the police high-ups," she said. "Suspicious cars and motorcycles roam around our house at midnight to scare us. These vehicles have no registration plates."

She alleged that SSP Abro, the father of the accused, is behind these threatening tactics. Also, she appealed to the 'higher authorities' to remove SSP Abro from his post for a free and fair investigation of the murder case.

"He is using his powers wrongfully to put pressure on the family, the lawyers and on the courts," said Naz. "If something unfortunate happens to any of us, the Sindh CM, Sindh IG and SSP Abro will be responsible."

Naz reposed her confidence in the judicial system after the Sindh High Court set aside the notification by the provincial police chief to reinvestigate the case. "I am 100 per cent hopeful for justice" she said, while talking to The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2014.