ISLAMABAD: Four police officials, dismissed from services in connection with Farishta abduction, rape and murder case, have been reinstated.

The officials were reinstated after they filed an appeal against their dismissal, senior police officers told Dawn, adding that the four police officials are a former Shahzad Town SHO, an investigating officer in the case a head constable (moharrar) and a constable.

All the four officials have now been posted at Police Logistic Division at Police Lines Headquarters, they said.

Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan had ordered registration of a case against the police officials and departmental proceedings and judicial inquiry against them.

In the light of two inquiry reports, Deputy Inspector General (operations) Waqaruddin Syed removed them from service in June.

At that time DIG operations Waqaruddin Syed confirmed to Dawn that the four police officials had been removed from service in the light of the reports.

The four police officials faced charges of delaying registration of the case, besides being charged with humiliating the farther of the girl by forcing him to clean the police station.

A case was also registered against the SHO and IO under PPC 166, they said, adding the case was in the court.

When DIG Operations Waqaruddin Syed was asked whether the dismissed officials had been reinstated, he replied with ‘no’. But the very next moment he said: “I have no knowledge about it.”

The DIG Operation further said: “I have to check it as they have been excluded from our strength (Operation Division),” but did not reply till the filing of this report.

When contacted, DIG Headquarters Mohammad Saleem neither denied nor confirmed and asked to contact DIG Operations, as he had dismissed them.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2019