KARACHI, May 16: The senate’s standing committee on housing, works and the environment on Friday recommended that DNA tests of the Mazar-i-Quaid’s entire workforce should be carried out to find the two remaining suspects involved in the gang-rape case of a young woman.
An 18-year-old woman was subjected to gang-rape after being kidnapped from inside the premises of the mazar on the night of March 15.
She was found in a precarious condition at the gate of the mausoleum in the early hours of March 17.
Subsequently, police registered a case under Section 365-B of the Pakistan Penal Code, introduced in 2006 by the Women Protection Act.
The senate’s standing committee, headed by Senator Dr Mohammad Ali Brohi, visited the Mazar-i-Quaid on Friday and examined the crime scene.
Later, the committee was given a detailed presentation about the case by South SSP Investigation Niaz Ahmed Khosa in the committee room of the museum.
Dr Brohi told Dawn that he had requested the inspector-general of Sindh and the home minister to provide the required funds so that 322 employees of the Mazar could be tested for DNA. He was positive that the required funds would be provided as there is already a provision for investigation funds.
Quoting the SSP investigation, Dr Brohi said each test costs around Rs10,000, thus an amount of Rs3.2 million would be required to carry out the tests.
The chairman of the senate standing committee stressed that the victim’s case should be taken to its logical end and the two suspects who have not yet been traced should be detected.
It may be pertinent to mention that an assistant manager of the mazar security force was arrested on March 20 following positive identification by the young woman in the morning. His DNA test afterwards confirmed his involvement in the case. Subsequently, two more suspects in the gang rape case were arrested by the police following the receipt of the DNA report, which confirmed their involvement in the case.
Talking to Dawn, Senator Brohi said that after getting a detailed briefing about the case, the committee would recommend to the federal government to pay compensation of Rs500,000 to the victim.
He admitted that compensation could not undo what the victim has gone through, but there should still be some sort of gesture from the government.
Furthermore, the husband of the victim should be provided a job at the Mazar-i-Quaid, Dr Brohi said. The committee has also requested Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah to help out the couple in providing them with a residence.
During the committee’s visit to the Mazar, Sindh Assembly Deputy Speaker Shehla Raza, who has been the custodian of the woman since the incident occurred, and the victim herself were also present. The victim was reported to have broken into tears while visiting the crime scene.
The senate standing committee comprises Dr Brohi as its chairman, Senator Hafiz Abdul Malik Qadri, Senator Shuja-ul-Mulk, Senator Bibi Yasmeen Shah, Senator Dr Abdul Khaliq Pirzada, Senator Sardar Mohammad Jamal Khan Leghari, Senator Sardar Mehmud Khan, Senator Maulana Rahat Hussain, Senator Mir Mohabbat Khan Marri, Senator Farooq Hamid Naek, Minister for Law and Justice, Senator Syed Mohammad Hussain, Senator Mohammad Saleh Shah as members and Mr Hameedullah Jan Afridi, Minister for Environment, as ex-officio member.
