FAISALABAD: The police has constituted a four-member fact-finding committee to probe into the torture on former state minister Talal Chaudhry by unidentified people in Abdullah Garden here on Sept 23 midnight.

Newly appointed Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Kashif Aslam formed the committee comprising People’s Colony Sub-Divisional Police Officer Assistant Superintendent of Police Abdul Khaliq as its chairman and the station house officers of Madina Town and women police post Chak 208-RB as its members.

The committee members have been tasked with ascertaining the facts regarding the incident that took place between Mr Chaudhry and PML-N MNA Ayesha Rajab Ali. The team will also record the statements of both sides. They will then recommend action in the light of the inquiry, which has to be concluded in three days.

On Sunday, the committee visited the residence of the MNA to record her statement, however, none of the family members were present. The security guard told police that the family had left for Islamabad.

Police said they would record the statements of both sides even if they had to go to Islamabad or somewhere else.

According to some media reports, Talal Chaudhry left a hospital in Defence, Lahore, on Sunday morning a few moments before the arrival of a police team from Faisalabad which wanted to record his statement.

A police officer said they did not play any role in reconciliation between the two parties as it was not the police’s job. He said the inquiry committee would try to complete its proceedings within the stipulated time.

Sources said police had also obtained information from the security guards of Abdullah Garden -- where the incident took place. They told police that Chaudhry had gone to the colony with his driver at about 2:40am and was stopped at the entrance, however, he insisted to go inside without identifying whom he wanted to visit.

They said the security officials shut the gates of the colony daily at midnight and did not allow anyone inside without verification from the residents a visitor wished to visit.

They further said that unidentified people thrashed Chaudhry when he entered the house of MNA Ayesha and he called the housing colony security.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2020