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LAHORE/FAISALABAD, Sept 5: Sonia Naz, a housewife who is in limelight after the allegation that police raped her, has moved the Supreme Court with the request that proceedings in the government-appointed inquiry commission should be stayed. Expressing her no-confidence in the commission, she stated in a writ petition, moved through advocate Asma Jahangir, that she had serious doubts about the neutrality of the commission and its inquiry because it was giving undue latitude to accused policemen. The Supreme Court has already sought report of the inquiry commission.
TRIBUNAL: The one-man tribunal constituted by the Punjab government directed the Faisalabad police chief to ensure the presence of Sonia Naz before it on Tuesday (today).
The tribunal head, District and Sessions Judge Abdul Waheed Khan, further directed the DPO to ensure the presence of all policemen and excise officials connected to the case.
Earlier, immediately on the commencement of the proceedings on Monday, a panel of lawyers headed by DBA president Saleem Jahangir Chattha and Human Rights Commission’s Jan Nisar Baloch advocate moved an application on behalf of Sonia Naz in which she contended that she had already recorded her statement before an inquiry committee constituted by the provincial government reports of which had been sought by the apex court.
She further narrated that she had neither received any formal notice about the inquiry proceedings in the tribunal nor she had any knowledge about the terms of reference of the inquiry.
She contended that the institution of multiple inquires would affect justice.
Her lawyers said that they had moved an application to the Sattu Katla police in Lahore seeking registration of a case against SP Abdullah Khalid Warraich; inspector Jamshed Iqbal Chishti and other policemen for committing rape, abduction, torture and illegal confinement but no case had been registered because of the influence of the accused.
They requested the tribunal to adjourn the proceedings for a week.
SP Abdullah Khalid was also present in the court. The judge expressed displeasure over the absence of inspector Jamshed Iqbal Chishti and asked the state to ensure his presence at every cost on Tuesday.
INQUIRY: A police probe committee on Monday cross-examined Sonia Naz and the SP whom she had blamed for having ordered her rape by inspector Chishti.
In the company of advocate Asma Jehangir, Naz appeared before the committee headed by DIG Zafar Qureshi at the Punjab Central Police office.
A source said the woman repeated the allegations which were again denied by the SP sitting in front of her.
The alleged rape victim submitted a written rejoinder to the committee, which she had also sent to Senate functional committee on human rights.
