ISLAMABAD - An inquiry committee that was formed to probe TV anchor Shahid Masood’s allegations against Imran Ali — the convict in the Zainab murder case — has said that his accusations were found to be unfounded.
In his television show on January 24 and in his media talk outside the apex court on January 25, Masood had claimed that the rapist and murderer of eight-year-old girl Zainab had various bank accounts in and outside Pakistan and he was also a member of a pornography gang which also included a Punjab minister.
Taking notice of the claims, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on January 29 had constituted a three-member inquiry committee headed by Federal Investigation Agency Director-General Bashir Memon and comprising Intelligence Bureau Joint Director Anwar Ali and Assistant Inspector General (Operations) Islamabad Police Asmatullah Junejo to probe the issue and determine the veracity of the allegations of the TV anchor.
The apex court had tasked the committee to record the statement of Masood, considering the material he desires to produce in support of his claim, and collect any other relevant material available from other quarters and submit its report within of 30 days.
The inquiry committee in its report submitted to the Supreme Court on Thursday said: “Virtually, every single claim made by Dr Shahid Masood, has been shown to be, do not have any sound basis. There was no conspiracy to declare Imran Ali, the murderer of little Zainab, as mentally ill or mad and there was never any threat to his life from an influential person”.
On the contrary, the report said, “extraordinary detailed measures were taken to ensure that Imran Ali is not caused any harm and that his fate is decided by no other than the court through judicial process”. The report said that “the authorities found no evidence that Imran Ali is declared mentally incompetent. Imran acted alone and there is no part of any mafia involved in the rape and murder of Zainab”.
The report said that “no evidence was produced about Imran’s bank accounts nationally and internationally. No proof brought on record that Imran Ali was pressurized by any federal minister. Neither anything was provided regarding violent child/crime pornography in Kasur nor was any evidence produced that any was gang involved in violent child/crime pornography in Pakistan”. “There was also no evidence that Imran Ali took the minor girl’s picture before committing the rape and the murder,” the report said.