LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Thursday showed concern over the bails granted by district courts to the policemen allegedly involved in extrajudicial killing of a youth facing rape-cum-murder charges.

Hearing a suo motu case pertaining to killing of suspect Mudassar in custody, the chief justice directed Punjab Prosecutor General Eihtesham Qadir Shah to file petitions for the cancellation of the bails granted to the accused policemen.

He also directed the relevant courts to decide at the earliest the bail cancellation petitions.

AIG restored to previous assignment

During the hearing, the chief justice also took notice of the transfer of Additional Inspector General of Police (Investigations) Abu Bakar Khuda Bakhsh allegedly for recommending stern action against the accused policemen.

Earlier, Acting-IGP Amjad Javed Saleemi appeared before the court and stated that section 311 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) had been included in the FIR of Mudassar’s murder. The section empowers a court to punish a murder suspect despite the pardon granted by the legal heirs of a victim.

Mr Shah told the court the police had arrested Mudassar for his alleged involvement in the rape-cum-murder of a minor girl and killed him in a fake encounter. However, he said, later Imran Ali, the convict in Zainab murder case, confessed rape and murder of the other minor too.

He said the accused policemen had secured bails from sessions court. He assured the court that the prosecution was going to challenge the bail orders before the relevant courts. The accused policemen also appeared before the court.

The chief justice directed the acting-IGP to restore Additional IGP Khuda Bakhsh to his previous post and also asked the latter to continue monitoring of the probe into the extra-judicial killing.

The CJP also expressed concern over the appointment of DIG Sohail Sukhera as head of the team probing into the incident and asked acting-IGP Saleemi to replace the officer. However, Mr Saleemi assured the court that the investigation would be carried out purely on merit.

The chief justice sought progress reports from the prosecution and the police on the next hearing.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2018