In a surprising development in the Salahuddin murder case, the sessions judge held the out-of-court settlement announced by the deceased’s father as incomplete on Tuesday.
Salahuddin, the suspected ATM thief, was tortured to death in police custody in Rahim Yar Khan which led to outrage across the country last month.
Hearing the case, Additional Sessions Judge Zahid Bakhtiar said the pardon petition of Salahuddin’s father, Afzal, was incomplete.
The judge ordered Salahuddin’s mother to also be produced before the court during the next hearing. Pardon petition would only be considered complete if both of Salahuddins’ parents were present before the court, said the judge.
However, Salahuddin’s father, Afzal told the court that his wife was seriously ill and could not show up.
The court extended the interim bail of the accused policemen – City A-Division’s Station House Officer Mehmoodul Hassan and investigation officers Sub-Inspector Shafaat Ali – till October 22, and declared the third accused, Assistant Sub-Inspector Matloob Hussain, as innocent.
Afzal had pardoned the police officials accused of torturing his son to death after he was arrested for robbing an ATM machine some two months ago.
Afzal pardoned the policemen at a mosque in Gujranwala, in the presence of deputy commissioner for revenue, Zeeshan Hanid, saying he was doing so for the sake of Allah.