FAISALABAD: At present allegations of convicted target killer Naveed alias Commando against Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah have not been verified, however, arrest of remaining proclaimed offenders and technical evidence including data of cell phones and internet messengers will help police find facts.

This was mentioned in the concluding remarks of the inquiry conducted by SSP (Operations) Hafiz Irfanullah on the direction of Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Raja Pervez Akhtar.

During the inquiry, the official could not get the technical data of Whatsapp, Viber, Voice Taping and SMS although he had sent two letters to the authorities concerned on Nov 14 and Nov 26 last.

Similarly, mobile data of two cell phone numbers, one being used by Rana Sanaullah, was missing and tagged as ‘not found’.

On July 17 last in his confessional statement before the court, Commando said he had gunned down Asghar Ali alias Bhola Gujjar, Khurram alias Khurmi Bajwa, Arshad Lohar and Aslam Jora on the directions of Rana Sanaullah and fugitive SHO Farrukh Waheed.

Following his allegations, the judge on Oct 21 had directed City Police Officer Afzaal Kausar to appoint an SP to verify the allegations and submit the report on Nov 23. Police could not submit the report and sought two more weeks for inquiry, however, the judge gave only one week and police submitted report on Monday (Nov 30).


Official could not get cell phone apps data; minister’s mobile record ‘missing’


Sources privy to the development told Dawn that the SSP had mentioned in the inquiry that Commando alleged that Rana Sana had appreciated him at his outhouse after the murder of Bhola. However, Rana told the SSP that he was in Lahore on that day and his cell phone location was a proof.

The SSP had sought the call data of Rana Sana’s cell phone number to verify his claim, however, data was not found.

Statements of Bhola murder case applicant, Mohammad Ashraf, and witnesses Aamir Bashir, Mubin Arshad and Mohammad Ashraf had confirmed that Rana Sana was in Lahore.

The officer mentioned that statement of arrested suspect Ayaz alias Babli was notable.

Babli told the SSP that fugitive SHO Farrukh Waheed, being alleged as ringleader of the target killers’ gang, used to visit his outhouse along with Commando and two gunmen Tahir and Najeebullah. Waheed had been financially supporting Commando who was living at the outhouse of Waheed along with his family.

He told the SSP that Commando had never visited the outhouse of Rana Sanaullah.

Concluding the case of Khurram alias Khurmi Bajwa, the inquiry officer mentioned that Rana Sana had denied having any kind of relations with Commando and that allegations against him (Rana) are baseless and fake.

The SSP noted that murder case of Bajwa was registered on the application of his wife Shazia Bibi on Nov 10, 2012 against three persons — Naziran Bibi, Khalid and Noor Zaman -- with Factory Area police.

Similarly, the SSP mentioned that Arshad Lohar and Akram Jorra were killed in the police encounters and the judicial inquiries had also endorsed both shootouts as genuine.

Regarding the Bhola murder case, the officer noted that family of the deceased said Rana Sana had nothing to do with the killing of Bhola.

Policemen, including DSP Malik Khalid, Inspector Mian Rafiq and SI Malik Jahangir said they never tortured Commando during the investigation.

A Counter Terrorism Department Inspector, Aamir Mushtaq, supported the statement of abovementioned police officers and categorically said they never tortured Commando during his detention at the cell.

The SSP mentioned that Commando remained in a constant contact with his lawyer for legal assistance during the entire proceedings and had been changing his statements.

Statements of Anjum Niaz, Nafees alias Goga and Tahir (all convicted in the Bhola murder case) had been recorded in the central jail and all kept changing their statements. However, allegations of Commando have also not been proved through their statements, the SSP added.

A police officer requesting anonymity told Dawn that police high-ups were not satisfied with the inquiry report. He said police had not been given ample time to probe the allegations with the help of technical data.

He said interrogation of alleged ringleader of the gang, Farrukh Waheed, a former SHO, and his accomplices would clear the picture because currently police had to rely on the statements of all the people who had been made part of the inquiry process.

He said it was also noteworthy that why data of two cell phones was not found. Technical data of Whatsapp, Viber and other messengers would help corroborate the allegations of Commando.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2015

Opinion

Editorial

Defining extremism
Updated 18 Mar, 2024

Defining extremism

Redefining extremism may well be the first step to clamping down on advocacy for Palestine.
Climate in focus
18 Mar, 2024

Climate in focus

IN a welcome order by the Supreme Court, the new government has been tasked with providing a report on actions taken...
Growing rabies concern
18 Mar, 2024

Growing rabies concern

DOG-BITE is an old problem in Pakistan. Amid a surfeit of public health challenges, rabies now seems poised to ...
Provincial share
Updated 17 Mar, 2024

Provincial share

PPP has aptly advised Centre to worry about improving its tax collection rather than eying provinces’ share of tax revenues.
X-communication
17 Mar, 2024

X-communication

IT has now been a month since Pakistani authorities decided that the country must be cut off from one of the...
Stateless humanity
17 Mar, 2024

Stateless humanity

THE endless hostility between India and Pakistan has reduced prisoners to mere statistics. Although the two ...