Gang-rape victim family seeks protection from own guards
PESHAWAR: The brother of an alleged gang-rape victim has moved the Peshawar High Court (PHC) seeking protection for the family from the police security guards.
Zafranullah, brother of the alleged gang-rape victim Uzma Ayub, submitted an application with the PHC chief justice to seek protection from the police guards deputed for their protection. He called for action against the police officials after accusing them of torturing him and hurling threats at his family members.
The applicant stated in the application that he had told Sub-Inspector Saadullah Jan, in-charge of police mobile squad, that he wanted to meet his lawyer in Khyber Bazaar about the gang-rape case of his sister Uzma Ayub and murder case of his brother Alamzeb. He claimed that the police squad instead took him to the Ramdas police post where he was thrashed by the security guards.
Later, he said the policemen shifted him to Bhanamari Police Station and kept him behind the bars. At the police station, he said two men named Bakhtiar and Ikhtiar warned him to withdraw cases of gang-rape of Uzma Ayub and murder of Alamzeb against the police officers and other accused persons within five days or else face expulsion from Peshawar city.
The applicant appealed to the PHC chief justice to take action against the policemen and two the persons who hurled threats at his family. Due to threats and security reasons, the PHC chief justice had shifted the cases to Peshawar. On the court’s directives the provincial government gave accommodation to the victim’s family at the Civil Quarters Peshawar. On the court’s order, the Peshawar city police chief had provided full security to the victim’s family till completion of the trial of the cases.
On June 19, the PHC disposed of its suo moto notice case in the alleged gang-rape case of Uzma Ayub without any action after the DNA and polygraph tests of the accused remained inconclusive. The cases are now under trial at the anti-terrorism court in Peshawar. The Takht-e- Nusrati Police Station had booked all the accused persons under sections 365B (kidnapping) and 376 (rape), 452 (trespass sanctity of house) and 354 PPC (Pakistan Penal Code), 7 ATA and section 14 of Islamic Law.