GUJRANWALA: The family of Salahuddin Ayubi, an alleged ATM thief whose death in police custody in Rahim Yar Khan had sparked outrage across the country last month, has pardoned accused policemen.

A station house officer, an inspector and some constables named in the case are currently on an interim bail. Media focus on the case had forced the government to remove the RY Khan DPO and then the acting DPO as well.

Sources said Ayubi’s family had asked the government to establish a school, lay a gas network in their village Gorali and rebuild a link road in return for the pardon.

On the assurance of additional deputy commissioner revenue Zeeshan Haneef that two of the projects – gas and road – would be implemented, Ayubi’s father Muhammad Afzal pardoned the accused policemen at a gathering in a village mosque. Assistant commissioner Shahid Abbas was also present there.

Sources said some local political personalities played their role in convincing Afzal to pardon the accused “in the name of Allah.”

Asked if the accused will get any relief in this case as the state, of late, becomes party in such cases of heinous crime, Punjab additional IG operations said they would get relief in the FIR but any relief in their service matters would be decided by the IGP.

Published in Dawn, October 16th, 2019