HYDERABAD: Police on Sunday obtained three-day remand of the father of 10-year-old girl, who was reportedly stoned to death in the name of honour, and another suspect from the court concerned and requested Dadu sessions judge to form a medical board for the exhumation of the victim’s body.

The girl’s father Ali Bux Rind and Mumtaz Leghari, a prayer leader who had led the girl’s funeral prayer after she was allegedly killed at midnight on Nov 21 in Shahi Makaan area in Wahi Pandhi that bordered Balochistan, were arrested a day before. Police had also detained the girl’s mother for questioning but they had not disclosed the detention officially, according to sources.

The sources said that police were also trying to catch Ali Nawaz Rind and Sami Rind, both relatives of the girl’s father, and one Taj Mohammad Rustamani, who had aided the family in the murder.

Dadu SSP Dr Farrukh Raza has, meanwhile, requested Dadu sessions judge in an official letter to order director general of Health Services Sindh to form a medical board for the exhumation of the girl’s body. He asked for appointment of a judicial magistrate to supervise the process of exhumation.

Dadu sessions judge seeks exhumation of victim’s body

The SSP informed the judge that as soon as ASI of Wahi Pandhi police station, Ghulam Qadir Gopang, learnt that Ali Bux Rind in collusion with Ali Nawaz Rind, Sami Rind and four unidentified persons had stoned Gul Sama, Ali Bux’s, daughter, to death he registered a case against the suspects under sections 302, 201, 120-B PPC on Nov 30.

Suspects record statements

DADU: Wahi Pandhi police on Sunday recorded statements of Maulvi Mumtaz Leghari, who led funeral prayers of 10-year-old

Gul Sama; Taj Mohammad, who aided in her burial, and the girl’s parents Lilan Rind and Ali Bux Rind.

Sources said that Maulvi told police that as soon as he arrived in Shahi Makan area on the request of the girl’s father, he was detained in a room throughout the night and was let out early in the morning to lead the victim’s funeral prayer at 8.00 am.

He said when asked about the girl’s age her father retorted “she was adult”. However, he did not see blood stains or torture marks on or through the shroud, he said.

The victim’s parents insisted that their daughter died after being hit by stones falling from a hill.

Taj Mohammad said that he arranged the funeral material on humanitarian grounds when the girl’s father requested him.

‘No evidence of jirga ordering stoning of girl’

KARACHI: Sindh Minister for Information Saeed Ghani has said that police have not so far found any evidence that a jirga had been held to decide the fate of the young girl, who was allegedly stoned to death in Wahi Pandhi area about 10 days ago.

The minister said at a press conference on Sunday that the Sindh government had directed Dadu police to investigate the incident thoroughly and leave no stone unturned. He said the prayer leader who led funeral prayers of the girl and her father had been arrested but so far police had not found any eyewitness of the incident.

He said in reply to a question said that so far the federal government had not paid even a single penny out of Rs162 billion it had announced for Karachi.

Ghani said that if Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf wanted to enforce its much-touted system of local government it would have to pass it through provincial assembly first and it was for the Sindh government to decide what form of local government system it wanted in the province.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2019