CJP criticises KP police’s ‘less than exemplary’ performance in Asma murder case

• Summons PTI’s Fawad Chaudhary to ‘witness’ proceedings of case

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Tuesday summoned Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Spokesman Fawad Chaudhary to the Supreme Court to “witness” the proceedings of the Asma Rani murder case.

The chief justice said, “He [Fawad Chaudhary] keeps criticising other people and says that the Khyber Pukhtunkhawa has an exemplary police force. Let’s call him to court so that he witnesses how exemplary the KP police is.”

Mian Saqib Nisar, who headed a three-judge bench, gave the KP police two-week time to ensure the arrest of the culprit behind the murder of Asma.

Aasma Rani, a third-year MBBS student at Abbottabad Medical College, was shot dead in her hometown of Kohat on Saturday. Main accused, Mujahid Gul Afridi, shot her thrice and according to the victim’s family, wanted to marry her.

In a disturbing video made prior to her passing, Aasma revealed the name of her attacker. “Mujahid Afridi, Mujahid Afridi,” Aasma is heard saying.

Mujahid — the nephew of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf district president Aftab Alam — left the country after the incident but his accomplice and brother, Sadiqullah Afridi, was nabbed by police later.

“Have the phone records of the main suspect and his accomplice been recovered?” the chief justice asked during the hearing. Federal Investigation Agency Director General Bashir Memon informed the court that he doesn’t know that whether the prime suspect has escaped to Dubai or Saudia Arabia.

“It seems like this man planned this whole thing; he has an iqama from Dubai as well,” he told the court.

“Have red warrants been sent out for the suspect? Can we send out the warrants?” the chief justice asked.

Meanwhile, KP Inspector-General Salahuddin Mehsud appeared before a three-judge bench, headed by Mian Saqib Nisar.

“How good is the police force of KP?” CJP asked. “These [suo moto] notices are taken for citizens.”

“It is mandatory for police to provide security,” he observed. “A girl suffered such a horrible fate yet there is no progress.”

The KP IG told the court that police can present the family members if the Supreme Court orders, the chief justice responded by saying that do not ‘present’ them in the court, we will respectfully invite them.

The top court directed Punjab Forensic Laboratory to immediately submit forensics report to KP police.

The hearing has been adjourned till February 21.

SC will start hearing the case pertaining to the murder of Asma Rani in Kohat later today.

In the last hearing of the case, Justice Nisar had shown great dissatisfaction at how the case was being handled by the KP police.

“We heard tales that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police has become a lot better; what is the force doing after this girl was murdered in Kohat?” the chief justice had asked in the previous hearing, while adding that there seems to be no mechanism set for the investigation.

On Saturday, police claimed to have arrested another accomplice, Shahzeb, who assisted Mujahid in fleeing the country.

Safia Rani, the sister of Asma Rani, alleged that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police is pressurising her to retract, and not to issue any statement questioning their performance on her sister’s murder case.

Safia Rania had earlier said that the law enforcement authority did not provide adequate security to her sister despite knowing about the threats given by the relative of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s district president to her sister.