Day: May 28, 2008

LAHORE: Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer visited Mayo Hospital on Tuesday to inquire about a seven-year-old girl who survived gang rape allegedly by her maternal uncle and another man on Monday.

Governor Taseer’s daughter accompanied him to the hospital. The governor expressed sympathy with the girl’s parents and told them that the alleged rapists would be severely punished. “ We will see these savages off to hell,” he said. He also told the hospital administration to provide all medical treatment to the girl and that he would foot the bill. He also financially assisted the girl’s family.

Later, Governor Taseer told reporters that he thought of the girl as his daughter and that was why he had brought his daughter along to inquire about the girl. He also said that one of the accused had been arrested, while a special police team had been sent to Faisalabad to arrest the other accused. The girl was gang raped at Main Bazaar, Ganda Engine in Gawalmandi. Gawalmandi Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Malik Muhammad Ashraf quoted the girl’s father, Tahir, as saying that his daughter, Fariha, was playing in the street at about 8:30pm on Sunday when she was kidnapped. The DSP said two men on a motorcycle threw an unconscious Fariha outside Tahir’s house at about 5:30am on Monday. Fariha’s clothes were soaked in blood, the DSP quoted Tahir as saying. Tahir said that a neighbour saw the scene and told him about the motorcyclists’ appearance. Fariha was taken to Mayo Hospital, where she is being treated.

Tahir accused his brother-in-law, Atif, and his cousin, Zulfiqar, of kidnapping and raping his daughter. He said that they threw her outside his house after she fainted. DSP Ashraf said that Gawalmandi Police registered a case (number 258/08) on Tahir’s complaint and arrested Atif, a resident of Badami Bagh. He said that Zulfiqar was still at large and that the police were looking for him.
Source: Daily Times
Date:5/28/2008

Additional District and Sessions Judge Qamar Ijaz on Tuesday cancelled the post arrest bail of Muhammad Zubair, an accused rapist of a minor girl.

According to the FIR, on March 11, Zubair raped Tayyaba in liaison with Talha, Muzammal and Muzafar in Sidhanwali village of Ferozewala leaving her in critical condition.

It is pertinent to mention former IG Punjab Azhar Hassan Nadeem had suspended DSP Khadim Hussan and SHO Sayed Riaz Shah of Narang Mandi police station for defending the main accused Zubair and not nominating him in the FIR. Later, an FIR against the two police officers was also registered under Section 201 of PPC and Section 155 of the Police Order 2002.

The judge cancelled the bail after hearing the arguments of both the parties, observing that the crime was of a heinous nature and fell under the prohibitory clause. Therefore, he said, the accused could not be given the relief of bail.

The judge recorded statements of witness Nusrat Bibi, the mother of the victim, who said that Zubair had committed rape with her minor daughter with the help of his brothers, Talha, Muzafar, and Muzamil whom the police had released declaring him as innocent during investigation. The judge adjourned the hearing till June 3 to record the witness of the victim.

Free Legal Aid and Settlement chairman Anis AA Saadi Advocate, Mian M Bashir Saif, Muhammad Irfan, Razaq Ibrahim and Imran Ali voluntarily appeared before the court as usual to handle the case of the victim in the legal battle. Advocate Mehboob Ahmed Khan and Nadeem Anthony of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan also attended the court proceedings.

After life threats from the accusedís family, Nusrat had left her house and had been living at some unidentified place. She said Jamshed Iqbal and Muhammad Mansha, who were witnesses in her favor, had also colluded with the accused family and withdrawn their witnesses in order to support the culprits. They appeared before the court on Tuesday and supported the case of the accused.
Source: The News
Date:5/28/2008

The District and Sessions Judge has ordered the investigation officer to produce the case file of the gang-rape of an 18-year-old woman at the Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum. June 7 has been fixed as the next date of hearing.

Earlier, the court had issued several show cause notices to the IO but he failed to produce the file. Meanwhile, Khadim Hussain, a security official at the mausoleum, who was first arrested in the case, has filed a bail application.

An 18-year-old woman was gang-raped after being kidnapped inside the mausoleum premises on the night of March 15. She was found in a precarious condition at the gate of the mausoleum in the early hours of March 17.

On March 20, following positive identification by the young woman in the court, the police had arrested Khadim Hussain, an assistant security manager posted at the mausoleum. Later, a DNA report also confirmed his involvement in the case.

The police registered a case under Section 365/B inserted into the PPC through the Protection of Women Act-2006.
Source: The News
Date:5/28/2008

KARACHI, May 27: The additional district and sessions judge-IV, east, Aftab Ahmed Bughio, adjourned on Tuesday the hearing of a gang-rape case till June 7 and directed the investigation officer to submit the police file.

An 18-year-old woman was subjected to sexual assault after being kidnapped on the premises of the Mazar-i-Quaid on the night of March 15. She was found in an unstable condition outside the mausoleum on March 17.

The case (FIR No 50/2008) was registered at Brigade police station under Section 365/B of the Pakistan Penal Code (the section was inserted through the Protection of Women Act, 2006) on the complaint of her father.

On March 20, police arrested an assistant manager security of the mausoleum for his alleged involvement in the case. Later, an accountant and a personal assistant to the resident engineer of the Quaid-i-Azam Mausoleum Management Board were booked on April 24 following the receipt of a DNA report that confirmed their involvement in the case. All the suspects were remanded in jail custody. They would be indicted on the next hearing.

One of the suspects has moved a bail application that would also be heard on June 7.
Source: Dawn
Date:5/28/2008

KARACHI (May 28 2008): Sindh Minister for Women Development, Ms Tauqir Fatima Bhutto said Sunday that the government will soon present a bill before the Assembly to enact laws for prevention of domestic violence against womenfolk. Ms Tauqir Fatima said women would also be given 20 percent quota in jobs through Provincial and Federal Public Service Commissions.

Speaking at the inaugural of “International conference on Women’s leadership” held here, she said for a secure future of our coming generations we should take practical steps for protection of the rights of women.

Ms Fatima said it was the mission of late Benazir Bhutto to make women strong in Pakistan and ensure their representation in all walks of life. “Now it is our responsibility to carry forward the mission of late Benazir Bhutto”, she added. Speaking about an exhibition, she said the show will play a significant role to promote the works of craftswomen of the country at national and international level. She said Women Development Ministry will establish cottage industries across Sindh which will help improve the skill of the craftswomen of rural areas.
Source: Business Recorder
Date:5/28/2008