Attempted murder case: Court suspends police inquiry

Petitioner claims investigation was based on conjectures

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has suspended an inquiry report of a former sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of the Ramna Police Station, Iram Abbasi, in a case registered against a former oil company head and his armed accomplices on charges of attempt to murder, robbery and police encounter.

IHC Chief Justice Muhammad Anwar Khan Kasi has suspended an inquiry report prepared by Abbasi till the next date of hearing and issued notices to police officials asking why the case’s investigation was transferred.

The court has also issued notices to the former CEO Tashfeen Qayyum and adjourned the matter for the first week of March.

Petitioner Kafayatullah Khattak, head of operations of oil exploration company Eastern Testing Service,
has contended that the inquiry dated November
18, 2014 in the case was without jurisdiction and based upon surmises and conjectures.

In the petition, Khattak alleged that Abbasi conducted the inquiry against the spirit and norms of the settled principals of law, adding that the conclusion was factually incorrect as the SDPO failed to consider the evidence recorded by the investigation officer along with recoveries, site plan and other material collected during investigation.

“Proceeding pursuant to impugned inquiry report dated 18.11.2014 shall remain suspended till next date of hearing,” the order of the bench stated.

Khattak has been alleging that Qayyum and accomplices barged into the company from where he was allegedly removed in 2011 and opened fire on a police party when it reached on August 10, 2014.

The complaint, lodged by then SHO Inspector Asjad Mehmood, stated that the suspects present inside the company opened fire on the police party when
they announced their arrival. Following the encounter, the police arrested 14 men
and seized weapons from their possession, the police said.

Subsequently, the Sabzi Mandi police had charged Qayyum and the other suspects.

The case was transferred to several investigation officers and later an inquiry was conducted by then SDPO Ramna, and now SP, Irum Abbasi.

Petitioner has cited Abbasi, the Inspector General Police Tahir Alam Khan, SSP operations, SP investigation, SHO Sabzi Mandi and Qayyum as respondents in the petition.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 24^th, 2015.