Police admonished for character assassination of minor girls

By: Mian Dawood

LAHORE — It was perhaps most painful moment for a poor mother when an investigation officer (IO) of Narowaal police declared her two minor daughters who were abducted about two month ago in the court as loose character girls.

An IO submitted his investigation report before Lahore High Court Justice Abdul Waheed Khan and affirmed two minor sisters Raheela and Noshaba, aged 8 and 10 respectively, had not good character and both were also baggers.

Surriya Bibi, a resident of Saddique Pura, Narowal had submitted in her habeas corpus petition that Karamat Ali, Mustafa and Mudassar had kidnapped her tow minor daughters namely Raheela,8, and Noshaba, 10, from her house on October 8. Noshaba is deprived from the blessing of speak. Ms Surriya stated she recognised Mudassar during the incident because he was living as tenant in the area. She approached the city Narowaal police to register a case against the accused but police denied to do so. She prayed the court to issue orders to police to recover her daughters.

Justice Abdul Waheed Khan has summoned investigation officer (IO) of city Narowaal police sub-inspector Liaqat. The IO submitted his investigation report before the court. He declared tow minor girls as baggers having recognition as loose character girls in the area. He told the court that police had arrested tow accused Mudassar and Karamat and they are being interrogated. He had already informed the judge that Mudassar was a pimp and he also performed the job of supplying the girls in the area.

At this, petitioner’s counsel raised objections on the IO’s report and questioned how it was possible that two sisters below the age of 10 years could be declared as loose character. During arguments, the counsel alleged that Narowaal police were playing in the hands of local politicians and they had released another accused, arrested some days ago, on the recommendation of local MPA.

Interestingly, the IO’s report read at one stage that Mudassar, Karamat and Mustafa had abducted Noshaba while Raheela had been taken by Chann Becha, his wife Kosar Bibi of the same area.

On the second part of the report, the IO claimed that Raheela herself left the house about three months ago and she went with an employee of Lucky Irani Circus which was held in Narowal about one month ago. And, someone has informed Surriya Bibi by telephone that her daughter Noshaba, who cannot speak clearly, was bagging at the road of Minar-e-Pakistan, Lahore. The IO claimed in the report that police were trying their best to trace and recover the minor sisters.

After his report, Justice Abdul Waheed Khan remarked, “A mother has become rolling stone for the last two months but the police have failed to recover her minor kids.”

The judge ordered forth time to Narowaal police to recover both sisters as soon as possible till the date of next hearing December 21.

Talking to TheNation, after the hearing, Surriya Bibi and her husband Liaqat alleged that the accused Mudassar and his accomplices were a running a gang of pimps in the area. “They have collected reports during last two months that the kidnappers have sold their minor daughters to some owners of brothel houses,” the old couple said, adding that police were giving protocol to accused in the police stations and an accused has been released on the request of some influential people of the area.

An officer of the said police station told TheNation on condition of anonymity that the kidnappers were very strong gang of the area.

“Firstly, they took a house on rent in any area and then build strong relations with their neighbours to abduct their daughters.

They are agents of brothel owners and are much influential,” the officer revealed and added police were unable to take action against them because politicians and feudalists were on backing them.

Source: THE NATION