LAHORE - Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Thursday ordered the courts to decide within two days petitions questioning bails to police officials involved in the killing of a youth in Kasur.
Mudassar, 22, was killed the day when the body of Zainab Amin was found in an under-construction house and was dubbed rapist and killer of the child.
“An innocent child was killed; whoever the responsible is could not flee justice,” the top judge remarked while hearing the case in connection with the fake encounter of Mudassar—a teenager who was shot dead by police in Kasur.
Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsan were the other members of the bench. The CJP also directed the police authorities to produce the accused police officers before the court; both who had been on bail and who had not been on the bail.
In compliance of the court orders, the officials who had been on bail including DSP Arif Rasheed, SHO Younas Dogar, Tariq Bashir Cheema and Fayyaz Ahmad appeared before the court. However, over non-appearance of former Kasur DPO Nasir Zaidi, the CJP observed that whether he (the former DPO) was on bail or not.
Prosecutor General Punjab Ehtesham Qadir told the bench that police arrested Mudassar over charges of raping and killing seven-year old Zainab and killed him in a fake encounter and later it was proved that the rapist and killer of the child girl was Imran Ali who had been convicted.
He said Section 311 of PPC had been included in the FIR registered against the police officials and now after this section, there could not be compromise between both the parties.
The prosecutor general also informed the court that an additional district and sessions judge had also granted bails to the police officials accused of killing the innocent child while the judicial magistrate refused to record the statement of seven other police officers who had been the witnesses. He said the decision of the judicial magistrate was challenged before the Lahore High Court and the matter was pending adjudicated there. At this, the CJP asked the PG to tell the names of the judges.
Meanwhile, Justice Nisar restored additional inspector general Punjab ( Investigation) Abu Khuda Bakhash as head of the Joint Investigation Team probing the murder of Eman Fatima—the other child girl who was raped and killed in Kasur last year. “The court itself will protect the honest officers,” the Chief Justice observed.
However, CJP Nisar expressed dismay over inclusion of DIG Suhail Sukhaira in the JIT constituted for the same probe.
However, Mr Bakash told the bench that he would investigate the matter in the right direction. At this, the Chief Justice remarked: “ if you wanted to include him the entire responsible would be of yours,”. The Chief Justice directed the Prosecutor and JIT members to submit reports and adjourned the hearing.