Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights, while expressing no confidence in the investigation report regarding the murder of Dr Syed Baqir Shah in Quetta, has issued directives to the I.G. and the Home Secretary of Balochistan to explain the reasons in the next meeting of the Committee on Human Rights.
Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights chaired by Senator Afrasaib Khattak also recommended to present complete investigation reports of Intelligence Bureau (IB) and ISI regarding the murder of journalist, Saleem Shahzad in the next committee meeting. Senator Hafiz Rashid Ahmad informed the committee that he and his family members were receiving threatening phone calls and they also demanded money. Details of phone numbers belong to Miram Shah (Tribal Areas) are already provided to Ministry of Interior, but no arrest was made so far, he maintained.
Official of the Ministry of Interior informed the committee that the ministry informed all the federal and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KPP) law enforcing agencies including IB and ISI to dig out the numbers and the people involved in the murder. He said the country was at war in tribal areas and it was very difficult to search the concerned officials.
The chairman said that Senator Hafiz Rasheed Ahmed and his family were receiving the life threats on telephone as well as in writing. D.G National Crisis Management Cell, Javed Iqbal Lodhi told the committee that the security had been tightened at the house of the Senator and the investigations of the threats received by the Senator were in progress.
The committee was informed that in order to provide basic facilities to the police personals posted at 58 check posts in Islamabad, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had been suggested to provide umbrella shelters.
Director Bureau Pakistan Police Tahir Javed briefed the committee that appropriate measures had been taken to stop torture of innocent people in police stations across the country. New courses for constable and others were initiated; forensic labs were established in Punjab. He also claimed that disciplinary actions were taken against police officials involved in torture in police stations. DIG Punjab Suhail Khan, Additional IG Sindh Zafarullah, and KPK higher police officials told the committee that appropriate measures were taken to ensure human rights in their respective provinces. They said necessary directives had been issued to the all concerned police stations to ensure that no common people was subjected to torture, if any complaint was received, stern disciplinary action to be taken against the responsible officer/officials.
Secretary Ministry of Human Rights told the committee that there was a need of change in 'Thana Culture', which he claimed was listening for last several years, but all in vain. He also claimed that police itself was involved in majority of illegal activities against whom no action was taken. Senator Mrs Farhat Abbass suggested the committee that action should be taken against those police stations where robbery and dacoity cases were on the rise.
About the target killing of Dr Saleem Kharai, Director JMPC in Karachi, the committee was told that Rs 0.5 million have been announced as head money of the murderer, adding that through collective efforts the re-happening of such incidents in the metropolitan would be minimised. Senator Suriya Amiruddin while expressing dissatisfaction over the performance of police in Karachi said that the incidents of robbery were increasing in the city, especially in 'Samreen Chorangi' with each passing day and police had almost lost its control. She said that the street crimes have become the routine matter, while in most of the dacoity incidents, the police are also found to be involved in them.
The committee was informed by the officials of the Ministry of Interior that in order to tighten the security in the capital, the work on the Safe City Project has been speeded up.
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