HYDERABAD, July 16: The Sindh chapter of Pakistan Medical Association has decided to be part of a judicial inquiry into the May 30 botched police encounter that led to the killing of senior neurologist Dr Aftab Qureshi.

Provincial general secretary of PMA Dr Pir Manzoor told Dawn that the PMA was engaging a counsel for legal advice in this regard. Some important points about the encounter would be raised before the inquiry officer, he said.

He said the most important point was lack of adequate preparation made by the raiding police party and its failure to work in coordination with local police which were not informed about the rescue plan although Karachi police were aware of the kidnappers’ hideout and presence of a hostage and a kidnapper there.

Meanwhile, the inquiry officer, additional district judge-II, recorded statements of another three people on Monday.

Associate professor of neurology Dr Riaz Raja and Dr Agha Taj, a member of the syndicate of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, deposed before the court after their names had been mentioned by the university registrar Saleh Rajar that he was informed by them about the May 12 kidnapping of Dr Qureshi and May 30 encounter.

“I told the court that when I was informed by Dr Rauf about Dr Qureshi’s kidnapping I immediately informed the registrar at around 2am,” Dr Raja said.

He told Dawn that he did not refer to the May 30 encounter because the judge did not ask about it. Son of Dr Qureshi had made a separate statement, he said.

Dr Taj said he informed the judge that when he came to know about the encounter he informed the registrar and then went to hospital.

He said he had met officials of the Citizen Police Liaison Committee when they brought the body of a bandit killed in the encounter. CPLC officials told him that they had come from Karachi in connection with the kidnapping case, he said.

Dr Qureshi was kidnapped on May 12 in Karachi. CPLC and Anti Violent Crime Cell raided a bungalow in Qasimabad to rescue Dr Qureshi. An encounter between the kidnapers and police ensued and an ASI of AVCC, a bandit and Dr Qureshi were killed.

The Crime Branch Hyderabad has submitted an interim challan in the case to the Anti Terrorism Court and nominated 11 accused, four of them absconders. Karachi’s brigade police are investigating the case separately.