Pakistan Gender News Voice of Gender News From Pakistan
ISLAMABAD, June 21 2005: Islamabad police high-ups rejected a judicial inquiry committee report on the alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl at a capital police station and launched their own internal inquiry.
Saira, resident of Sheikhupura, was allegedly raped by a police official on duty at Shahzad Town police station in Islamabad on May 17 midnight. According to a source, the judicial committee report confirmed the allegations of rape against the police official. The source said the judicial inquiry findings were considered to be “very harsh” by the Islamabad police department.
A top cop of Islamabad when contacted by The News confirmed, on condition of anonymity, that a new inquiry was being conducted by the police department itself to “remove certain flaws” in the judicial committee report. He said statements of certain witnesses that, according to police were important, were not recorded.
Earlier, a top-level inquiry was ordered by Minister of State Dr Shahzad Wasim after the startling disclosure that a police cop had raped a girl at the police station. The minister also suspended Malik Mumtaz (DSP), Inspector Arif Hussain Shah (SHO), Sub Inspector Malik Hakim (duty officer) and the primary accused of the rape case, Qaisar, till the completion of the inquiry. The police registered a case against Qaisar under Anti-Corruption Act and arrested him.
A police source confirmed that despite the best efforts and speedy completion of the inquiry report, the recommendations of the committee were not given a serious thought by the Interior Ministry and top police cops of Islamabad decided to ignore the report. Meanwhile, SP (Investigation Wing) Ehsaan Sadiq, when contacted, said the police inquiry of the case was about to conclude.
Source: The News
Date:6/21/2005
