KARACHI, Feb 25: Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar on Wednesday urged the Sindh High Court to order a judicial inquiry into the murder of Hajra and Sassi in Gadap.

In a letter sent to the Registrar of the SHC, it was stated that in view of position, as appeared in the electronic and print media, with regard to the murders, a judicial inquiry may be held to ascertain the circumstances and causes leading to the tragedy; and fix responsibility and recommend specific legal or disciplinary action to be taken against the culprits.

The inquiry officer should submit his report within four weeks to the provincial home department, it added. The police have registered two cases of official negligence and murder against five police officials, including SHO Munir Phulpotto.

However, on Wednesday, the police department did not show the arrest of the accused in the murder case and, instead, took the remand of SHO and his alleged accomplices in official negligence case.

The SHO and the co-accused had first been lodged at the New Karachi police station, and then shifted to Sohrab Goth police station. "The suspended SHO has not been put behind bars. He has been given a room to stay at the police station where he has been provided with other facilities," a police official said.

"We have obtained the remand of the police official from a court in a negligence case registered under Police Order 2002. We are interrogating some police officials in the murder case of the two girls and if someone is found involved, he will be arrested in the case," Mohammad Akbar, DIG Investigation, told Dawn.

Meanwhile, confusion and apprehensions prevailed in the rank and file of the top police hierarchy following the 'suspension' of the Lyari Town police officer in the murder of the two girls, Dawn learnt on Wednesday.

Well-placed sources in the police department said that uncertainty gripped the department following the action taken in the murder case. After the 'arrest' of the SHO of the Gadap police station and two of his colleagues, things rapidly changed and went against the officers who did not belong to one or other political group and they found themselves in a quandary to act in any situation regarding law and order.

"Only those police officials are getting postings who have strong political connections in any of the ruling coalition parties in Sindh," a senior police official said.

Official sources said that the police had been politicized and demoralized by the steps being taken by the police high-ups. In a recent case, DIG Operations Tariq Jamil assigned the Lyari Town police officer, Ali Mohsin, the special task of visiting Gadap police station for an immediate inquiry. He was asked to book those police officials apparently found involved in the double murder of the two minor girls.

Mr Mohsin visited the police station on Feb 23, arrested SHO Munir Phulpotto and registered a murder case against him and three of his colleagues. As SHO Munir maintained strong connection in the CM House, Mr Ali Mohsin was ordered to quit as the TPO Lyari and report to the Central Police Office the very next day.

He was immediately made an OSD as punishment. He fell victim of 'a technical suspension' and his superiors had to bow before the political pressure.

When contacted, the DIG Tariq Jamil said: "I did not send him (Ali Mohsin) to the Gadap police station. Nor did he register a case against SHO Munir Phulpotto. This all was done by the TPO Gadap, Ahmed Khan Jamali."

Mr Jamali, who has his clout in the Prime Minister's House, Islamabad, was posted at the Gadap Town on his own choice, the official sources said. He was placed under suspension on the order of governor Ishratul Ibad following the recovery of partially decomposed bodies of the two girls.

A senior police official said that SP Iqbal Dara had been considered to be posted as TPO Gadap. However, due to the delay of 24 hours in posting, the things changed and Faisal Noor and Zarar Noonani were posted as TPO Lyari and Gadap respectively.

Both the officers were affiliated with a political party dominating urban areas of Sindh, he said, and added that 27 PSP officials were awaiting posting in Karachi but Noonani was brought from the interior of Sindh.

According to the Police Order 2002, a police officer could not be transferred from his post before completing three years unless a complaint being made to the district public safety commission against such an officer and an inquiry proved him to be inefficient.

Senior officials said that the establishment of the district public safety commission was being delayed in order to use the police as a tool through police high-ups in the province.

They said the Capital City Police Officer and the DIG Operations were glued to their seats and they did not want to sustain a pressure. They were getting all instructions implemented for the sake of their postings and their junior officers were being humiliated.

A senior police officer on condition of anonymity said: "The CCPO and the DIG Operations are puppet and their strings are with the political personalities. They have played a bad role in making police a tool of ruling parties."