Murder case sought against PM, CM, others

LAHORE: The Minhaj-ul-Quran International (MQI) leadership lodged a formal application with the Faisal Town police on Thursday to register a murder case against the top leadership of the ruling PML-N for killing 10 workers and wounding nearly 100 by the police on Tuesday.

MQI Director Admin Jawad Hamid on Thursday went to the Faisal Town Police Station along with political allies to file an application for registering the murder case. PML-Q Information Secretary Senator Kamil Ali Agha, a former judge of Lahore High Court Dr Khalid Ranjha, Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) president Sahibzada Hamid Raza and other leaders also accompanied him.

Those who were nominated in the application included Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, federal ministers Khawaja Asif, Chaudhry Nisar Ali, Pervaiz Rasheed, Khawaja Saad Rafiq and Abid Sher Ali along with Punjab Minister Rana Sanaullah, DIG Operations Rana Abdul Jabbar, SP Tariq Aziz, former CCPO Shafiq Gujjar, Faisal Town SHO, Gullu Butt and others. However, no case was registered till the filing of this report.

Senator Agha told the media that Naib Moharrir Ansar Amin had issued a receipt 657/5B/FB against the application but the case was not registered despite waiting for over one hour because the SHO left the police station with the plea that he would return within 10 minutes. But he did not appear again even after over an hour while the staff could not explain his schedule.

Agha said the MQI had fulfilled their legal right and now it was the legal responsibility of the police to register the case and start an investigation. He feared that the police would not register the cases against the rulers.He said the chief minister had announced supporting those who would follow the legal procedure, adding that it was the CM’s turn now to move on the application according to the law.

He warned the government that if it did not act on the application according to the Constitution and the law, then they would be compelled to take direct action whose responsibility would rest with the rulers.

Court summons Musharraf on July 1 in Ghazi murder case

ISLAMABAD: A local court in Islamabad resumed hearing the murder case of former prayer leader of Lal Masjid, Abdul Rasheed Ghazi and rejected the exemption plea filed by the accused General (retd) Pervez Musharraf from today’s hearing and summoned him on July 1, Geo News reported on Thursday.

The court had summoned former president and accused in the case in today’s hearing and had granted exemption in the last hearing. However, Musharraf did not appear in today’s hearing as well, instead two of his guarantors appeared before the court.

The court dismissed Musharraf’s exemption plea for today and summoned him on July 1.

The counsel of Musharraf, Major (retd) Akhtar Shah apprised the court that doctors treating his client have strictly forbidden him from traveling, however, if adequate security arrangements are made, he will reach the court by availing the next flight to Islamabad.

The counsel also presented Musharraf’s medical report in the court on which the prosecutor and applicant’s lawyer raised objections.

While raising objections, the applicant’s lawyer Abdul Haq Malik termed the report as a mere piece of paper and said that the report didn’t include the details of Musharraf’s hospital and the medicines he was using.

The court, later, rejected the exemption plea filed by Musharraf’s lawyer and ordered him to appear in the court by any means.

Earlier, Judge Wajid Ali had already rejected Musharraf’s petition seeking permanent exemption in the Ghazi murder case during the last hearing.

Farzana murder case: Police arrest two more accused

LAHORE: Two more accused in the murder case of Farzana were arrested by the police here on Saturday.

Six people were nominated along with 22 unknown suspects in the murder case. The ill-fated girl was stoned to death by her family members on May 27 outside the Lahore High Court.

On May 30, Chief Justice of Pakistan had taken suo motu notice of the brutal murder, seeking report from the Inspector General Police.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had also directed Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to bring the culprits to book.

Shahbaz Sharif takes notice of 10-year old girl’s murder after rape

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister, Mian Shahbaz Sharif on Saturday taking notice of rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl in Muzaffar Garh, ordered the District Police Officer (DPO) to submit report in the case.

The Chief Minister also ordered for the immediate arrest of the culprits.

Earlier, a girl, aged only 10, was raped and strangled to death this morning in Muzaffar Garh.

Ex-CIA station chief be booked for murder: IHC

 

ISLAMABAD: Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed the Secretariat Police Station to register a murder case against former CIA station chief in Islamabad Jonathan Banks and former CIA General Counsel John A Rizzo in the matter pertaining to Kareem Khan, a resident of North Waziristan Agency (NWA), after his brother and a son died in a drone strike in 2009.
While hearing the matter, Justice Siddiqui inquired the Secretariat Police Station SHO whether any cognizable offence was committed or not. The SHO said that the offence was cognizable but it was not in the territorial jurisdiction of Islamabad Police.

Justice Siddiqui then said, “If a cognizable offence was committed, you must act as per law,” and disposed of the matter.Kareem Khan, a resident of North Waziristan Agency, had lost his teenage son Zahinullah and a brother Asif Iqbal who was a primary school teacher in Mir Ali, in a drone strike on December 31, 2009. While proceeding in this matter, Kareem Khan also remained missing for 10 days after he was allegedly picked up by the security agencies on February 5, 2014 from Rawalpindi when he was goingto narrate his woes before the European Parliament on February 15.

Kareem Khan, a native of Machi Khel, Mir Ali, North Waziristan, had filed an application for FIR with the Secretariat Police Station in 2010.The Secretariat Police refused to lodge the FIR and Kareem Khan then filed a case under Section 22-A with the civil court of Islamabad while praying that the police might be directed to register the FIR.

A civil judge of Islamabad dismissed the application in December 2013 citing lack of jurisdiction as the reason. The civil judge had observed that the attack was carried out in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) of Pakistan and hence the Islamabad court could not assume jurisdiction in this matter.

The petitioner then filed an appeal with the IHC and the same court while hearing in the matter on February 10, 2014 referred the matter to civil judge once again. But the civil judge refused to issue an order in favour of Kareem Khan citing lack of jurisdiction.

Kareem Khan then filed an appeal before the IHC that was heard on Thursday with directions to register cases against Jonathan Banks and John A Rizzo.Mirza Shahzad Akbar, advocate, represented Khan in the court and argued that the drone strike was carried out in North Waziristan but the FIR could not be registered as the CIA station chief was based in Islamabad. He further argued that the decision of civil judge dismissing the application on account of territorial jurisdiction was misconceived while under the Pakistani law, the FIR could be registered.

After the court’s decision, Akbar through a press release said, “There is no doubt under Pakistani and international law that the US officials are committing murder through drone strikes in Pakistan and today’s decision simply vindicates this very point as after this order, all those who have been killed in drone strikes have a right to proceed in similar criminal actions against the CIA officials and others involved. This remarkable order also highlights the strength of independence of judiciary in Pakistan which is truly protecting the rights of citizens of Pakistan under the Constitution”.

CJ takes notice of woman’s murder outside LHC

ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, on Friday took notice of the murder outside the Lahore High Court and called a report from the Punjab IGP within 48 hours.

The chief justice took notice after the incident was reported in a section of the media on May 29 containing details about the murder of a young woman, who was beaten to death with bricks

by her family, close to the Lahore High Court for marrying without their consent.It was requested that the killers be brought to justice and police officers who were silent bystanders be punished for aiding and abetting the crime through their inaction to dispense justice to the victim.

Taking cognizance, the chief justice of Pakistan directed the Punjab inspector general of police (IGP) to submit a report in the matter within 48 hours.Similarly, the chief justice also took notice on press clippings of different newspapers dated May 30, containing details of the death of an overseas Pakistani in a Malaysian jail and non-cooperation of the Embassy of Pakistan in Malaysia.

It was appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to take action into the matter to dispense justice. Taking cognizance, the chief justice of Pakistan called a report from the secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan, within three days.

Economic murder of workers unacceptable: LPC

LAHORE: Journalists on Monday continued their symbolic hunger strike camp for the second consecutive day in front of the Lahore Press Club to condemn a murderous attempt on senior journalist Hamid Mir and a possible action against the Geo TV.

LPC President Arshad Ansari, LPC Secretary Muhammad Shahbaz Mian, Joint Secretary Farzana Ch, senior journalist Khawar Naeem Hashmi, Shafiq Awan, Wasif Nagi, LPC Governing Body Member Qamaruz Zaman Bhatti, Imran Sheikh, Punjab Union of Journalist President Waseem Farooq, Imtiaz Rashid, Gohar Butt, Maqsood Butt, Javed Farooqi, Maqsood Awan, Mian Abid, Zulfiqar Ali Mehto, Waseem Babar, Advocate Malik Feroz and other lawyers participated in the camp set up under the banner of the Lahore Press Club.

Addressing the participants, Arshad Ansari said it was highly condemnable that nine days had passed since the murderous attempt on Hamid Mir, but the culprits were still at large. He announced that till the attackers were not arrested, their strike camp would continue. He said the journalists community would not tolerate any action against the Geo TV for the cause of the freedom of expression. He said the economic murder of media workers could not be allowed. He said the whole community would stand by all journalists and media houses in testing times. He said from April 30, the members of all press clubs of the country would reach Lahore and the whole community would organise rallies and demonstrations for four consecutive days from May 1.

He said conspiracies were being hatched on a daily basis to curb the Geo but the journalists community stood united with the Geo to foil all such attempts. He said a rally would be organised on May 2 in favour of the freedom of expression and a procession would proceed on May 3 from the Lahore Press Club to the Punjab Assembly.

Shahbaz Mian said the journalists community was not divided on the issue of Hamid Mir and would foil all conspiracies in this regard.

Punjab Bar Council Member Malik Sarwar said journalists and lawyers had supported each other in strengthening democracy in the country and the same would be continued in future as well.

Forum for International Relations and Development Chairman Taha Qureshi said the media had paid a heavy price for the sake of democracy and no one could curb its freedom. He said his organisation would not support any action against the Geo TV.

Our Peshawar Correspondent adds: The newly elected body of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) on Monday termed the attack on the Geo News anchor Hamid Mir as an assault on the freedom of the press and asked the government to arrest the assailants forthwith.

PHCBA newly elected Secretary General Muhammad Ayaz Khan told The News that the Jang Group had played a historic role for the independence of the judiciary and restoration of democracy.

“After the successful lawyers’ movement, all of us including the media, civil society and lawyers were under attack on various fronts. The media had given full support to the lawyers’ movement and now lawyers would stand by the media in this difficult time,” he added.

PHCBA’s new President Muhammad Isa Khan said that freedom of the press was the need of the hour, but freedom of expression should be under the law and as per the Constitution. He said unlawful acts of the government against freedom of the press were not acceptable.

About his newly elected team’s work plan, he said his first priority would be to establish good working and cordial relations between the bar and the bench. He said the cause list in the PHC was too long and sometime cases were adjourned without hearing.

“My effort would be to reduce the cause list so that there is enough time to hear each case,” he said, adding that important and urgent cases should be heard in one or two days. He said due to the backlog of work the vital cases were also fixed for hearing in a week or two.

He said the lawyers in the provincial capital were facing car parking problem, lack of bar rooms and various unresolved legal issues with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council.

He said he would try to stop pre-poll rigging in the PHCBA election. He claimed that in every election the presidential and other candidates deposit the membership fee of the voters that is in thousands.

“I would try to issue lifetime PHCBA membership. It would not only end pre-poll rigging, but also eliminate the stigma from the lawyers of defaulting on payment of dues,” he said. He added that the new body would also try to discourage the role of non-practicing lawyers in the bar associations.

Ayaz Khan, the PHCBA general secretary, said he would try to introduce a system of assistance to the families of those lawyers who became handicapped or their practice was affected due to illness.

In the PHCBA election on Saturday, Muhammad Isa Khan, a presidential candidate of the Muttahida Lawyers Panel won by securing 684 votes. His rival Muzammil Khan, who was a joint candidate of the People’s Lawyers Forum (PLF) and the ANP-affiliated Malgari Wakeelan, got 616 votes.

Muhammad Ayaz Khan, the joint candidate of PLF and Malgari Wakeelan won the election as secretary general by obtaining 583 votes. His rival Hazrat Said got 376 votes.

Jamal Afridi, the candidate of Muttahida Lawyers Forum won the election as vice president by securing 607 votes. He defeated Irshad Ahmad Durrani who got 443 votes. Kashif Jan was elected as the joint secretary by obtaining 732 votes. His rival Imad Anjum Durrani got 523 votes.

Wajid Hussain won election for the office of finance secretary by getting 736 votes. Ziaul Hassan was elected the press secretary. A female lawyer, Gul Naz won election as member of the executive committee with 372 votes

Commission didn’t exonerate ISI of murder allegations

ISLAMABAD: The Judicial Commission on Saleem Shahzad case had recommended the accountability of intelligence agencies through legislation noting that currently the ‘legal and organisational foundations of the two major agencies (ISI and IB) rest on mere executive orders.’ The commission stressed on ‘an urgent need for laying down a comprehensive statutory framework’ for them.
Terming it ‘high time’ to bring the agencies under legal framework, the commission had recommended their accountability at three levels: within the agency and before the minister-in-charge; before a parliamentary committee; and before a judicial forum. Defining the role of agencies, the commission said they must be kept at a distance from ‘press censorship, liaising with political parties and the conduct of foreign policy.’

The commission had recommended internal documentation and procedure of inquiry in order to investigate the allegations of misconduct by agency officials. “Without the relevant documentation, no investigation would have much chances of success and it would be hard to rule out the possibility of the agencies’ involvement in incidents like the murder of Saleem Shahzad,” the commission noted.

Highlighting the need for parliamentary oversight of the agencies, the commission said it will serve two purposes: (i) improving the efficiency of agencies; (ii) preventing excesses through oversight and ensuring public confidence in the agencies.

It further noted that in extreme cases where internal review as well as parliamentary review is not sufficient, the agencies may also be held accountable to a specially constituted judicial forum.

A special judicial oversight mechanism may be set up for dealing fairly and effectively with complaints against the agencies, whether emanating from the media or from other sectors of the society, the commission said. “While the forum should be of a general nature, particular importance should be given in this regard to the complaints of the press.”

The role of agencies had come under question. Like Hamid Mir, Saleem Shahzad had also conveyed threats to his life from the ISI and the commission had not absolved the agency of the allegations directing the police to investigate the names named by the slain journalist, Saleem.

Although, threats and acts of intimidation are denied by the ISI, the commission report noted, “Yet from the statements of the above named, the commission cannot hold that their understanding and perception about the threats etc. extended to them are misconceived, simply for the reason that it had been refuted by the ISI official.”

When so many senior and respected journalists have come forward to record their perception, noted the commission, that they found certain words, gestures and acts of ISI officials as intimidating and threatening, then it is hard to dismiss it lightly, “merely on account of a bald denial by ISI.”

“Therefore, from the overwhelming material available on the record, the commission is convinced that there are sufficient reasons to believe that the agencies, including ISI, have been using coercive and intimidating tactics in dealing with those journalists who antagonise the agency’s interest.”

Neither did the government act upon the commission’s recommendations nor did the police pursue the investigation into the Saleem Shahzad’s murder.

As far as the commission’s recommendations about legislation for intelligence agencies are concerned, it declared them ‘necessary to ensure that the agencies remain law-abiding and also that the public perceives them as such.’

This would require a serious effort from parliament, the report said. The commission report goes on: ‘In various countries of the world, intelligence agencies were first created under executive orders, but subsequently brought on a statutory footing to improve their level of accountability. It is high time we brought the same change in Pakistan.”

Whatever the details, the framework adopted for intelligence legislation must ensure constitutional standards of accountability.

The agencies can be held accountable at three levels: within the agency and before the minister-in-charge; before a parliamentary committee (and thus the parliament and the public); and before a judicial forum, said the report.

For improving the system of Internal Administrative Accountability for the agencies, the commission proposed statute should delineate, among other things, the purpose and object of various agencies.

Duties which fall beyond the competence of these agencies, such as press censorship, liaising with political parties and the conduct of foreign policy should be expressly excluded from their mandate. Given our current crisis, being explicit about these matters would be more than worth it, said the commission report.

The chain of command of the agencies should be clearly demarcated, the report added. The structure should be designed such that the minister-in-charge as well as the head of the agency is able to ensure internal administrative accountability. Therefore, in case of an alleged wrongdoing, the first level of inquiry should be from within the agencies. In this regard, it may be useful to set up an internal but independent office for review, such as a counsel general, an inspector general of intelligence (Australia) or auditor, whose job is to assist the minister-in-charge and/or the head of the agency in ensuring compliance with ministerial policy as well as with legal and constitutional limits, explains the commission report.

Emphasizing on the need for a more accountable work culture, the reports notes, the work-culture of the agencies may also need some change if oversight of any sort upon them, internal, parliamentary or judicial, is to be meaningful. In this regard, the proposed statute may require them to adopt by-laws which mandate their operatives to follow internationally-recognized Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).

The procedures should be defined in such a manner so as to improve the level of documentation, according to the report. In case of a complaint of misconduct, the relevant documentation should be handed over to the investigators for a proper inquiry. This change is absolutely necessary for increased accountability. Otherwise, without the relevant documentation, no investigation would have much chances of success and it would be hard to rule out the possibility of the agencies’ involvement in incidents like the murder of Saleem Shahzad.

For improving the system of democratic accountability for the agencies, the commission said they should also be made directly accountable to parliament. In this regard, parliament should consider creating bipartisan standing committees on intelligence in both houses of parliament. There are numerous such committees in parliaments around the world. The parliament may consider and deliberate upon various existing models of legislative accountability of the intelligence community to tailor the solution most appropriate for our context.

The aim of parliamentary scrutiny should be two-fold: (i) improving the efficiency of the agencies; (ii) preventing excesses through oversight and ensuring public confidence in the agencies.

For improving the system of judicial accountability for the agencies, the commission report said that in extreme cases where internal review as well as parliamentary review is not sufficient, the agencies may also be held accountable to a specially-constituted judicial forum.

A special judicial oversight mechanism may be set up for dealing fairly and effectively with complaints against the agencies, whether emanating from the press/media, as in this case, or from other sectors of society. While the forum should be of a general nature, particular importance should be given in this regard to the complaints of the press. For this purpose, it may be useful to create an office of human rights ombudsman, the commission recommended.

Judicial commission seeks reinvestigation of Parveen Rehman’s murder

ISLAMABAD: The suo moto case of the murder of Orangi Pilot Project Director Parveen Rehman was heard by the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

During proceedings the report of the judicial commission was presented before the court. The report sought an independent reinvestigation of the murder case.


The report prepared by the district and sessions judge in Karachi claimed that the initial investigation was manipulated. Human Rights Commission lawyer, Kamran Shekih agreed with the findings of the report and said the reinvestigation should not be carried out by the Sindh police. He called for the formation of a joint investigation team. Additional Prosecutor Sindh opposed the formation of a joint investigation team.

The apex court observed that Parveen Rehman was a social worker and did not have a personal enmity with anyone and she was working against the land mafia.

Rehman was gunned down near the Banaras flyover when she was returning home from work last year.

Baby taken into hiding after attempted murder charge

LAHORE: Relatives of a nine-month old baby charged with attempted murder in Pakistan have taken him into hiding, one said on Tuesday.

Baby Musa Khan appeared in court in the city of Lahore last week, charged with attempted murder along with his father and grandfather after a mob protesting against gas cuts and price increases stoned police and gas company workers trying to collect overdue bills.


"Police are vindictive. Now they are trying to settle the issue on personal grounds, that's why I sent my grandson to Faisalabad for protection," the baby's grandfather, Muhammad Yasin, told Reuters.

The baby is on bail and due to appear at the next hearing on April 12 but Yasin said he was not sure if he would take him to court for the case.

"There is immense pressure on me from various corners," he said.

At his first appearance in court last week, Musa cried while his fingerprints were taken by a court official. Later, the baby sucked on a bottle of milk and tried to grab journalists' microphones as his grandfather spoke to the media.

"He does not even know how to pick up his milk bottle properly, how can he stone the police?" Yasin asked journalists at the court last Thursday.

The baby was apparently charged because an assistant sub-inspector complained in a crime report that Musa's whole family beaten him up and injured his head.

The provincial law minister, Rana Sanaullah Khan, told Reuters that the provincial chief minister had ordered an investigation into the charges against Musa. One policeman had been suspended, he said.

"He has directed police authorities to take action against the officials who booked the infant," he said.

 

Bugti murder: ATC to issue arrest warrant, if Musharraf fails to apppear on April 21

QUETTA: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) here on Monday again ordered that former president Pervez Musharraf be presented before the bench hearing the Nawab Akbar Bugti murder case, Geo News reported.

The court has ordered that if Pervez Musharraf does not appear on the next hearing to be held on April 21, a warrant for his arrest would be issued, terminating his bail.

ATC Judge Tariq Anwar Kasi was hearing the Akbar Bugti murder case here.

During proceedings former federal interior minister, Aftab Sherpao and former provincial home minister, Shoaib Nausherwani were present in the court, however, the main accused in the case, Pervez Musharraf did not.

The bench has also ordered Pervez Musharraf’s guarantors to appear in court on the next hearing. It may be noted that the court has issued production orders five times. Additionally on the previous hearing the bench had ordered issuing arrest warrants for Musharraf’s guarantors as well