MULTAN, June 16: Complainant in a terrorist attack on the local Iranian cultural centre, Khana-i-Farhang, has feared life threat to him and his family. Constable Ijaz Hussain had expressed the concern in a letter sent to the Multan Range DIG and district police officer.

It may be mentioned that some seven people had been killed in the attack on Khana-i-Farhang, including its director Raheemi, in 1997. Constable Ijaz Hussain was said to be on duty outside the cultural centre at the time of attack.

In his letter, he informed his high-ups that the then Multan SSP, Ashraf Marath, had compelled him to become a complainant in the case. SSP Ashraf Marath had been shot dead in Gujrat later on in yet another terrorist attack.

The constable said the case had landed him into a deep trouble as where he had been receiving continuous life threats from the 'terrorists' his department was also compounding his problems.

He said he had been facing warning of dismissal from the seniors as he could not properly do his job due to fear and often remained on leave. When contacted, DPO Hamid Mukhtar Gondal said the police was a disciplined force and becoming complainant on behalf of the state in a case did not permit any official to evade his duties.

He said constable Ijaz was posted at the Police Lines so that he could not face any problem, but even then he did not turn up to his duty.

SURRENDERS: An absconding police inspector courted arrest on Wednesday when a high court judge refused to take up his appeal against capital punishment handed down by a lower court to him for killing two people in a fake encounter.