KARACHI: While initial findings of a post-mortem examination of the body of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) worker Aftab Ahmed confirmed that between 35 and 40 per cent of his body surface was congested due to multiple bruises, Federal Interior Minister Chaudary Nisar Ali Khan on Thursday said the Rangers who were facing charges in the custodial death case should not hold an inquiry into the incident on their own.

The interior minister hinted at his contact with the Sindh government for a judicial inquiry into the incident.

“This is not fair that the institution, which has been facing the charges, supervises the inquiry on its own. The army chief has ordered an inquiry into the incident, but I think the Rangers should not do that. It is the Sindh government job and we have contacted the provincial government in this regard to initiate a judicial inquiry into this incident,” said the minister while speaking in Samaa TV’s show ‘Live with Nadeem Malik’.

Aftab Ahmed, 42, coordinator to MQM deputy convener Farooq Sattar, died on May 3 in the custody of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, just a day after he had been placed under their preventive detention for 90 days by an antiterrorism court.

Initial findings of the post-mortem examination conducted by medico-legal officers of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) showed that there were multiple bruises, some of them overlapping each other, on the body. The family of the deceased also claimed that his body contained “multiple bruises” and “clotted blood spots”, while they were initially told that he had died of a heart attack.

Amid the controversy and growing criticism over the custodial death, the paramilitary force formed an inquiry body and claimed to have suspended some Rangers officials though the number of suspended officials was not disclosed.

Meanwhile, the autopsy report indicated a gap of 12 to 36 hours between the injuries inflicted on the body and the death of Aftab Ahmed who was brought at the JPMC emergency department at around 7:55am on Tuesday (May 3). The death was declared at 8:20am while a post-mortem examination was carried out at 4pm the same day, it added.

“The report mentioned that there were multiple bruises on different parts of the body of the deceased. However, the final cause of death could be declared only when we receive report of histopathological and chemical examination,” said additional police surgeon of the JPMC Dr Kaleem Sheikh while speaking to Dawn.

According to the autopsy report obtained by this scribe, there was a deep congestion with swelling around both ankle joints.

It further mentioned that a nail of the left foot was found damaged, with displacement from its anatomical position.

Besides, it added, there were “multiple bruises which are variable in sizes in different regions of the body.” The bruises appeared to be reddish and reddish black in colour, some found overlapping each other, it said. Also, the report said, there were multiple abrasions of variable sizes found with superficial loss of skin at the sides of chest, abdomen and thighs.

Published in Dawn, May 6th, 2016