October 25, 2007	Thursday	Shawwal 12, 1428

RAWALPINDI, Oct 24: Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench here on Wednesday directed the capital police to register a murder case against the suspended deputy commissioner of Islamabad in a case in which the Capital Development Authority (CDA) attempted to take possession of land in a village with the help of local police in 2002.

The double bench consisting of Justice Muzamal Khan and Justice Shabbar Raza Rizvi accepted the intra court appeal of Mohammad Azam, a resident of Siri Saral, and ordered the SHO to register a criminal case against the now suspended deputy commissioner, Chaudhry Mohammad Ali, who was director enforcement CDA at that time, for allegedly ordering police force to shoot at the villagers on July 27, 2002 when the CDA tried to take possession of official land.

Mohammad Azam filed a complaint with the police that Chaudhry Mohammad Ali, who was leading the raiding party of CDA along with police force, ordered the law enforcers to shoot at the resisting villagers which resulted in the death of two villagers, Mohammad Latif and Haq Nawaz. He further alleged that the police fired at the houses of the peaceful villagers to deter them.

Police registered a case against the villagers on the charges of murder, attempt to murder, police encounter and terrorism and refused to entertain the complaint of Azam who moved the high court making Inspector General of Police, Islamabad, director enforcement, CDA, and SHO Golra police station on August 1, 2002 for registration of an FIR.

A single bench of the high court on July 14, 2003 disposed of the petition and directed a senior officer of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to look into the whole incident.

Challenging the order of the single bench, Mohammad Azam appealed to the double bench on July 26, 2003.

The appellant maintained that different high courts in the country had time and again observed that two different FIRs must be lodged in case of a counter version of both parties.

He further said police had registered the FIR without taking into consideration the plea of the villagers. Police in the FIR had declared the death of the two villagers as mystery saying it could not be determined whose bullets caused their death.

The double bench on Wednesday, accepting the appeal of Azam, ordered SHO Golra to register an FIR against the accused.

Meanwhile a single bench of Justice Syed Sajjad Hussain Shah directed SHO R.A. Bazaar police station to appear before the court on October 30 in the case of a man missing for the last three months.

On the last hearing on October 5 the SHO failed to submit comprehensive report about the alleged absence of Imran Aziz for more than three months.

According to details, Tanveer Imran, wife of Imran Aziz, resident of Dhoke Syedan Misrial Road, stated in her petition through Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui advocate that the local police in the company of Elite Force and some persons in civvies raided her house on July 8 to arrest Imran Aziz, a dentist by profession, who was not at home.

The police arrested the younger brothers of Imran Aziz, Jibran Aziz (26) and Salman Aziz (24). They took them away along with some personal belongings of Imran.

The police officials and persons from the agencies told the inhabitants that in order to interrogate Imran Aziz his custody was required and until his arrest, his brothers would be detained.

Earlier Imran Aziz had invoked the jurisdiction of the Lahore High Court (LHC) by filing a petition for the recovery of his brothers that was pending with the court.

Jibran Aziz, the arrested brother of Imran, was released on July 10, 2007 but the ‘illegal detention and unprecedented torture’ aggravated his ailment which led to his death on July 15, the petitioner alleged.

Salman Aziz, the other brother of Imran, was released on July 17, 2007 the day the writ petition was fixed before the court and Imran also appeared in the court.

The SHO of R.A. Bazaar police station categorically stated in the court that Imran Aziz was not required in any case. Later the secret agencies arrested Imran from outside the LHC on July 17, the petitioner alleged.

Since his arrests Imran’s whereabouts were not known and she prayed to the court for early recovery of her husband or his production before any court of law if wanted in any case.