The Lahore High Court on Thursday summoned Punjab home secretary, Punjab inspector general of police, SSP (operations) Lahore, DPO Vehari and DPO Rahim Yar Khan for October 10 on a plea against killing of nine people from a family, including five brothers, allegedly in three fake police encounters.
Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi passed these orders on a petition by Saleema Bibi against killing of his five sons, including Malik Shahid, Malik Zahid, Malik Majid, Malik Adnan and Malik Imran, and four other relatives in three different police encounters on September 18, 2012.
Earlier, the petitioner’s counsel submitted that a son of the petitioner Imran and two other relatives including Jamshaid and Awais were killed in a police encounter within the jurisdiction of Police Station Chung, Lahore on September 18. He claimed that the encounter was staged as the FIR registered indicates that no policeman received so much as a scratch in the encounter.
He pointed out that police killed two other sons of the petitioner, including Zahid and Majid, and their relative Ramzan in another encounter within limits of Burewala, Vehari. He added that petitioner’s two other sons, including Malik Shahid and Malik Adnan, were killed in an encounter within limits of Adaadpur, Rahim Yar Khan.
The counsel said the petitioner had serious apprehensions regarding life of his four remaining sons who were being threatened by the police.
The counsel also alleged that petitioner’s daughter-in-law was also missing along her three minor sons and it was believed that she was in police custody. SP CIA Umar Virk also appeared before the report and submitted a report.
But the court criticized state of affairs in Punjab and notedthat the petitioner has been deprived of his sons and property which pointed to the ignorance of public functionaries.
The court took a notice of the matter and summoned the officials on next date of hearing.
