KARACHI, Aug 31: Pakistan Peoples Party has criticized the government for what it called is half-hearted measures in connection with the alleged abduction and rape of Ms Sonia Naz by Faisalabad police officials.

“How can a government which uses police force openly and blatantly for kidnapping, torture and killing of its political opponents, rigging and overturning mandate of people and implicating citizens in false cases stop it from committing rapes on its own?” said the PPP’s central information secretary Taj Haider in a statement released from Bilawal House on Wednesday.

The half-hearted action of the prime minister against the guilty police officials and apologetic tone of the interior minister and his reluctance to even suspend these officers were self explanatory, he added.

He said that the prime minister and the interior minister know enough law and they should understand that those committing this most heinous crime and those abetting them are to be immediately arrested as it is a non bail-able offence. “What do they mean by replacing investigation of a crime by a departmental enquiry for ‘misconduct’ ?”, he added.

Mr Haider said that everyone, including the government and its civil administration, clearly understood that the “criminals in uniform” were their real benefactors. “Loud pronouncements by the government about honouring women and fighting crime against them notwithstanding, this government cannot proceed against its real benefactors —- no matter the victim is Dr Shazia Khalid, Ms Sonia Naz or any other helpless woman. The rapists would surly go scot-free simply because they are in uniform”, Mr Hiader said.

This government has further deepened the crisis over its legitimacy. After rigging elections it has lost any semblance of moral authority by openly resorting to crimes against the people, he sadi and demanded immediate arrest of all members of the gang of “criminals in uniform” in Faisalabad. He said people have no faith in the enquiry ordered by the prime minister since the government itself is a party to the issue and the root cause to this state of affairs. The crime should be investigated by a judge of high court and the criminals given exemplary punishment, he demanded.