MANSEHRA: The police on Wednesday said they had begun raids to arrest fugitive JUI-F leader Mufti Kifayatullah wanted for harbouring a suspected child abuser.

“A police team, which I formed, has been conducting raids at all possible hideouts of Mufti Kifayatullah,” district police officer Sadiq Baloch told reporters here on Wednesday.

The police registered FIR against Mufti Kifayatullah on Monday and didn’t make it public to ensure his arrest.

The police have already arrested cleric Qari Shamsuddin for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old student inside his seminary in Parhana area late last month.

Mr Baloch said the JUI-F leader had also created hurdles to the arrest of the suspected assaulter. “We will arrest Mufti Kifayatullah soon,” he said.

Kifayatullah wanted for harbouring suspected child abuser

The DPO claimed that Qari Shamsuddin had revealed during police investigation that he wanted to surrender but Mufti Kifayatullah forced him not to do so.

“Mr Kifayatullah had attempted to influence the police’s investigation by declaring the suspected child abuser innocent in a news conference,” he said.

Mr Baloch said a DNA test had confirmed child abuse by the cleric.

The child’s family has already accused Mufti Kifayatullah of threatening them for an out-of-court settlement. District bar association president Amir Khan Swati said none of the lawyers registered with the association would defend the alleged assaulter in the court.

FLOUR MILLS FINED: The district administration fined a flour mills Rs0.1 million and cancelled its subsidised wheat quota for selling flour bags at rates higher than those fixed by the district administration.

Led by assistant commissioner Talat Fahad, a district administration team raided the Mansehra Flour Mills and found out that a 40kg bag of wheat flour was sold at Rs2,100 instead the notified rate of Rs1,616.SUSPENDED: District police officer Sadiq Baloch has suspended the Saddar police station’s moharrar for delaying the registration of a dagger attack case.

Mohammad Shoaib, a driver by profession, was taken to the Saddar police station after rivals stabbed him with daggers in Kotkay area.

He was to get an FIR registered by the police for receiving treatment at the hospital. A lack of cooperation on part of moharrar Mohammad Azam led to his death.

The police later arrested suspected attackers Imtiaz Shah and Niaz Shah. However, two other suspects are at large.

Published in Dawn, January 30th, 2020