ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar remarked on Tuesday that in case they saw any ‘pressure’ being exerted in the Asma Rani murder case, the investigation would be shifted out of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Asma, a third-year medical student in Abbottabad, was in her hometown of Kohat on vacation when, on January 27,Mujahid Afridi allegedly opened fire on her over a marriage proposal.
Mujahid, the nephew of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) district president Aftab Alam, left the country after the incident, but his accomplice and brother, Sadiqullah Afridi, was arrested.
Hearing the suo motu case, the court summoned PTI Spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry over his claims of KP police’s ‘professionalism’,’but he did not appear in court.
Later, addressing PTI’s Kohat District President Aftab Alam, the chief justice remarked that they had observed that Pashtuns are very honourable.
“Why did you let your nephew escape?” the chief justice asked, adding that the suspect killed the girl and was now hiding.
The chief justice then instructed Alam to produce his nephew before the authorities, adding that if he succeeded in doing so, he would be regarded an honourable man.
Addressing KP Inspector General of Police Salahuddin Mehsud, the chief justice asked him to remain steadfast.
The KP police chief assured the court that there is no political interference in the case and added that sometimes investigation of such cases takes time.
Moreover, regarding PTI plea to remove its name from the case, the court ruled that the party’s name will not be removed at any cost, observing that the affected family was alleging PTI’s role in the case. Earlier, the chief justice had remarked that PTI criticised the performance of police of other provinces while calling the force in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ‘exceptional’.
During the hearing, Federal Investigation Agency Director General Bashir Memon informed the court that he did not know whether the prime suspect was in Dubai or Saudi Arabia.
He said the suspect killed Asma with proper planning and then fled the country.
The chief justice asked whether any family member of the deceased was present in court.
An official of the KP police informed the court that they could present the family members if the SC ordered. The hearing was then adjourned.
On Saturday, police claimed to have arrested another accomplice, Shahzeb, who assisted Mujahid in fleeing the country.
Safia Rani, Asma’s sister, has alleged that the KP police was pressuring her to retract and not issue any statement questioning police performance on her sister’s murder case.
Safia had earlier said that the law-enforcement authority did not provide adequate security to her sister despite being aware of the threats given by the relative of PTI’s district president to her sister.
“If Zainab’s killer can be arrested immediately then why can’t my sister’s,” she questioned, referring
to the Kasur serial killer caught by Punjab Police.
Published in Daily Times, February 7th 2018.
