Court hearing: SC asks for fresh progress report in Perween Rahman’s murder case

The Orangi Pilot Project director was gunned down in 2013 as she was being driven home

KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) directed on Tuesday DIG Feroze Shah to submit a fresh report on progress in the murder case of Orangi Pilot Project (OPP) director Perween Rahman by the next date of hearing.

A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim, was conducting suo motu proceedings based on a dozen petitions filed by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research and civil society members. The bench, which also comprised justices Mushir Alam and Maqbool Baqar, had resumed hearing at the SC's Karachi registry. Rahman was gunned down in Karachi on March 13, 2013, as she was being driven home.

Read: Perween Rahman murder case: Justice elusive as OPP members threatened

During Tuesday's proceedings, DIG Shah and other police officers appeared before the bench. Shah informed the judges that the police have unearthed evidence during the course of investigation linked to the murder of the slain OPP director. He added that this had led the investigators to make progress in the probe.

Shah stated, however, that police official Pir Muhammad Shah, who is investigating the murder case, is on leave. Therefore, he requested that further time be granted for filing the report based on the progress made in the investigation of the case.

Read: For Orangi Pilot Project workers, police have only one advice: leave the country

Granting the request, the apex court directed DIG Shah to ensure that the detailed progress report is submitted to the court by the next date of hearing.

Petitioners had approached the apex court, pleading that a judicial commission be constituted to probe into the murder. During previous hearings, Karachi West DIG Javed Alam Odho had claimed in his report that a suspected militant, Qari Bilal, was involved in Rahman's killing.

The report said that Bilal was wounded in a police encounter, was arrested, and later shifted to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. Before his death, the accused released the names of three other people, who were yet to be traced as the police had no record in this regard, the report had added.

The apex court had, however, rejected the DIG's investigation report and directed him to probe into the matter and submit a report in this regard within 15 days. Separately, the district and sessions judge was also directed to conduct inquiry into the matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 29^th, 2015.