ISLAMABAD: A two-member Supreme Court (SC) bench headed by Justice Gulzar Ahmed and including Justice Azmat Saeed on Wednesday ordered Attorney General of Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf to form a judicial commission to probe the murder of social worker Perween Rahman.
The court also ordered Advocate General of Sindh Barrister Zamir Ghumro to appear in court and provide details of the investigations.
During the hearing, the court lashed out at Sindh police for its negligence in the case’s investigation and remarked, “Where should we send Sindh’s police officers to make them learn how to conduct a proper investigation?”
Police officials present in court today told the bench that five suspects had been arrested, out of which one had confessed to being involved in Rahman’s murder. The bench showed reservations on the pace of the progress in the case and noted that the murder took place in 2013 and the killer has still not been arrested.
Raheel Kamran, senior counsel of Rahman’s sister Aquila Ismail, also alleged that the police officials that were involved in the investigation had mishandled the case, leading Justice Ahmed to wonder if the police were trying to “cover up” their failure.
Justice Saeed also showed his displeasure after the police officials admitted that the case had been mishandled and told the court that the department was taking action against the officers that were responsible.
The hearing of the case was adjourned for two weeks.
Perween Rehman, a media-shy social worker who devoted her life to the development of the impoverished neighbourhoods across the country, was gunned down near her office in Karachi’s Orangi Town on March 13, 2013.
The very next day, police killed a Taliban operative named Qari Bilal in an encounter and claimed he was the murderer, resulting in a closure of the case.
