KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Friday was told that the investigators were still unable to trace the prime suspect in the murder case of Orangi Pilot Project Director Parveen Rehman, although he has continually been under technical surveillance since September last year.

“He is a very shrewd character and keeps on changing his cell numbers as well as IMEIs [international mobile equipment identity]”, said a progress report of police filed before a two-member bench of the apex court at the Karachi Registry.

The bench comprising Justices Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Amir Hani Muslim was hearing a suo motu case along with the application of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and other petitioners on the murder of the social worker.

Parveen Rehman, a media-shy social worker who devoted her life to the development of the impoverished neighbourhoods across the country, was gunned down near her office in Orangi Town on March 13, 2013.

The very next day, police killed a Taliban operative named Qari Bilal in an encounter and claimed that he was the murderer, resulting in a closure of the case.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on April 15, 2014 ordered the authorities to conduct a fresh probe into the murder after a judicial inquiry revealed that police officers had manipulated the investigation.

Later, the HRCP, through Zohra Yousuf, moved a plea in the apex court requesting it to initiate disciplinary action against police officers involved in manipulation of the investigation into the murder case.

On Friday, the DIG-West placed on record the progress report stating that efforts were being made to track down the prime suspect, Rahim Swati, whose son, Imran, was already arrested in the case.

The report said suspect Imran told the investigators that his father had gone to the UAE. It said that the Federal Investigation Agency reported that the suspect had not travelled abroad.

The progress report said that the suspect Swati originally hailed from Malakand Agency and the local police had been contacted for his arrest.

It said that the Malakand police chief was being moved to distinguish and ascertain whether suspect Said Rahim and suspect Muhammad Rahim Sawati was the same person or otherwise.

The progress report quoted a report of the Regional Police Officer, Malakand as stating that Said Rahim was associated with terrorists and the Taliban and during the past insurgency, he along with his family moved to some unknown place, while his house was demolished by the security forces.

The progress report said that suspect Swati shall be monitored technically with the assistance of other intelligence agencies.

It said that the suspect had changed as many as 10 cell numbers and eight IMEIs since his technical surveillance.

The report said that cell numbers of Swati’s son and other family members would be obtained and analysed to track him down.

The court was also informed that SSP Pir Muhammad Shah, who was nominated as the investigation officer of the case by the apex court, had been transferred and posted as Khairpur SSP.

The DIG asked the court to nominate SSP-Operation Karachi West as the IO to conduct further investigation.

The court granted the request and ordered the investigators to gear up their efforts for the arrest of the prime suspect.

The hearing was adjourned to a date to be later announced by the court’s office.

Published in Dawn, September 5th, 2015

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