LAHORE: A lawyer has approached the Lahore High Court, seeking a directive for the Punjab government to constitute a judicial commission on the custodial death of mentally ill Salahuddin Ayubi and to make public inquiry reports of all extra-judicial killings that occurred during the last four years.

“The custodial torture, extrajudicial killings and human rights violations have become trademark of Punjab police,” said Advocate Nadeem Sarwar in a pro bono writ petition filed on Friday.

The federal human rights ministry, Punjab chief secretary, inspector general of police and regional police officer of Bahawalpur have been made respondents in the petition.

The petitioner submitted that Ayubi died in the custody of Rahim Yar Khan police and a post-mortem report proved brutal torture on his body. A few days later, he said, another citizen, Amir, was killed by North Cantonment police of Lahore while in custody.

The lawyer contended that these incidents of brutality caused a wave of fear and terror amongst the citizens and became a matter of great public importance. Therefore, he argued, a commission or committee of inquiry was urgently required to be constituted under “Punjab Tribunals of Inquiry Ordinance 1969”.

He requested the court to direct the respondents to release inquiry reports of all extra-judicial killings and custodial deaths from 2015 to till date and action taken against police officials involved in these incidents.

He further requested the court to order that the trial of police officials involved in the latest killings be conducted in model courts.

The lawyer pleaded that the provincial government be directed to initiate measures for legislation of domestic law criminalising torture in order to hold police responsible for illegal acts.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2019