Jaranwala accused remand extended

Published July 11, 2002

FAISALABAD, July 10: All the three main accused including the prayer leader, involved in attack on an American national in Jaranwala, were remanded to police for another two days by the civil judge-cum-judicial magistrate here on Wednesday.

As is now Hafiz Abdul Latif, Asim and Zubair have reportedly neither made a clean breast of their “crime” nor they identified more villagers as their accomplices during the interrogation.

After two days of earlier remand, Jaranwala police again presented the arrested accused before court amid tight security arrangements with no one was allowed even to talk with the accused.

In their remand application, the police claimed the accused were still reluctant to identify other persons involved in the attack and two more days were required for the recovery of sticks and other articles which they used in the attack.

The judge was also informed that the accused were being interrogated on all lines to unveil real motive behind the incident.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Naseem, father-in-law of Faraz was still insisting that his son-in-law had left the village on Monday night without informing any person or area police.

Telling Dawn, he said that Faraz was American by birth and was stated to be an engineer in American navy. He contracted arranged marriage with daughter of Naseem about three years ago.

He has a one-year-old son Moizi while the name of a newly-born baby has not so far been finalized.

It may be mentioned that a mob of villagers in Chak 111-JB had attacked the house of Naseem to kill his relative, Faraz Jawed Malik, for his alleged objection to the speech of prayer leader during Juma prayers.

The mob reportedly pelted stones on the house where Faraz was staying, but no inmate sustained injury.

After receiving information, a police team rushed to the spot and arrested alleged attackers — Hafiz Abdul Latif, Asim and Zubair Usman.