ISLAMABAD: MNA Nafeesa Shah, probing the honour crime in the home constituency of her father Qaim Ali Shah, has finally been given a bone-chilling eyewitness account, confirming that Tasleem Solangi was thrown to the dogs.

The account by a bold Sindhi journalist, Ajeeb Lakhoo, shows how he himself had seen the dog-bitten body of 17-year-old Tasleem Solangi lying in a police van hours after she was gunned down in the name of honour.

This Sindhi journalist, who has suddenly become a centre of attention in the whole of Sindh, as he is said to have asked Nafeesa Shah to get the body of Tasleem exhumed and conduct a fresh post-mortem to verify his claim that she was first bitten by dogs and then gunned down.

The senior reporter of Sindhi newspaper Koshish, Ajeeb Lakhoo recorded his statement before Nafeesa Shah in Khairpur. After recording his statement, Lakhoo was now facing pressure from the people to stop giving such statements on this crucial issue as it was bringing a bad name to Sindh.

Lakhoo is said to have refused to come under pressure from unknown callers and even from his concerned friends and has gone on record.Talking to The News from Khairpur, Lakhoo confirmed that he had seen the body of Tasleem Solangi lying in a police van after she was killed. He also confirmed that he had also recorded his statement before Nafeesa Shah.

As he gave the evidence to Nafeesa Shah, her spontaneous reaction was “you have puzzled me as you are the only person who has confirmed that Tasleem was thrown to the dogs she was gunned down.

Lakhoo said he was on his way to attend some event when he got a phone call on his mobile from a police constable who disclosed that a Solangi girl was killed in the name of honour.He also said the body was lying in a police van and one ASI Gulzar Lashari was taking the body to a hospital for post-mortem. He decided to check the information and saw the police van in which the body was lying. He was shocked to see condition of the body as blood was coming out from all parts which was a clear indication that she was bitten by animals before she died. The clothes of the girl were also torn from all sides as she was lying in a pool of blood inside the police van. He asked police officials present there what was her crime that she was killed in such a brutal manner. He was told by the police that her husband Ibrahim had subjected her to torture before killing her.

Ajeeb Lakhoo said he could easily see wounds of dog bites on her body. He had no doubt that she was first thrown to the dogs.Meanwhile, talking to The News from interior Sindh, ASI Gulzar Lashari whom the journalist has accused of hiding the facts by declaring that she was not bitten by dogs, denied the statement of Ajeeb Lakhoo.

The ASI said there was no doubt that he was in-charge of the police picket of the area and had collected the body from Tasleem’s house. She was killed when she was sleeping. He said Tasleem’s body was lying on a cot. Gulzar said there were no signs of dog bites on her body as he had got her post-mortem done by a reputable lady doctor. He denied that Ajeeb Lakhoo had seen the body in the police van. Gulzar confirmed that he had also recorded his statement before Nafeesa Shah.
Source: The News
Date:11/4/2008