ISLAMABAD, Jan 22: The Supreme Court on Thursday summoned Hyderabad DIG to rationalize the police report that the murder of a couple in the Sanghar district was not the outcome of a jirga decision, and was only a simple honour killing.

The apex court, which took suo motu notice of the matter in October, after it had appeared in the national press that a couple, who had married of their free will, was put to death by a "firing squad" after a local jirga decided their fate.

Mr Justice Nazim Hussain Siddiqui, Chief Justice of Pakistan, observed that the court was not satisfied with the police's work, and wanted to know how it negated the report of the Sessions Judge, Sanghar.

The Sessions Judge, Sanghar, Nabi Bakhsh Talpur, in his report did not rule the possibility of murders under a jirga decision and stated that both Shazia Khaskheli and Mohammad Hasan Solangi were arrested and an effort was being made to separate them. He had recommended a thorough investigation of the matter.

Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, another member of the SC bench, observed that the sessions judge's report had hinted that the policeman dealing the case was in league with the murderers' family, but the police high-ups were adamant to keep him as investigator.

When DSP Anwar Subhani stated that the police had recorded the statement of a local MPA, who said that the murder was not the result of the jirga decision, Justice Javed Iqbal observed that feudal lords, who want to maintain status quo, would always give statements suiting the police.

The Supreme Court in its order on Thursday said a police officer, Anwar Subhani, submitted a report stating that the murder was not the result of a jirga decision. The police also stated that no firing squad was constituted to murder Shazia Khaskheli and Mohammad Hasan Solangi.

The apex court stated that the entire paperwork of the inquiry committee had not been submitted before the court on Thursday, and there was no detail available to show how many witnesses were recorded by police before coming to the conclusion that the couple was not murdered on the decision of jirga. The court also observed that the police report made no mention of the session judge's report about the incident.

"Prima facie, we are not satisfied with the contents of the police report placed before the court, and directed DIG Mushtaq Shah, to appear personally before the court along with the inquiry proceedings and other material which had been collected in this crime. He is also directed to bring all the orders passed by the Inspector General Police Sindh relating to this matter." The court fixed February 10, as next date of hearing.