Student killed while visiting his stepmother

• Sunday, 31 March 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: A youth was killed in the area of Koral police on Saturday while visiting his stepmother. His father, Muhammad Irfan, a security guard in a private security agency, told police that the dead body of Zamin Ali, aged 17, was found from an under-construction house in Ghori Town. The unidentified killer(s) killed Ali with repeated blows of axe, he further told the police. The Koral police told “The Spokesman” that a passerby found the dead body and informed the police. The police reached the place of the crime where they found a mobile phone beside the body, through which they contacted Muhammad Irfan.
SI Rashid Ali while talking to The Spokesman said, “The deceased was strangled as the bone of his neck had been broken. There were also some wounds on his head ans other parts of the body of the diseased. This indicates that the killer(s) may have tortured the victim before strangling him.”
The policeman added, “The victim was a resident of the Waggar village in Kotli Sattiyan and was studying in grade 7. His father has two wives. He has two elder stepbrothers. However the story behind his death will emerge after when the police will visit his village to know the status of the relationship between the families.”

Man loses life during a patch up bid

• Saturday, 30 March 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: A man lost his life at the hands of his brothers in-law when he was attacked by knives during a patch up bid at the latter’s residence at Sohan on Friday.
Muhammad Ramzan, a taxi driver, registered his complain through an FIR No (170) at the Shahzad Town Police Station against seven people for killing his brother, by stating that his brother Farzand Ali has been killed while he and his mother were injured by an attack from his in-laws when he was visiting his wife for a patch up.
The applicant wrote in his statement that he was married to Neelam Bibi three years ago in Pakpattan with whom he is having a baby of 10 months. Four days ago due to some domestic clashes her wife went to her parents. On Friday, he along with his elder brother Farzand Ali, his mother Hajran Bibi and his wife’s uncle Muhammad Aslam visited his in-laws to patch up with his estranged wife who refused to come with him.
During the course of interaction, both the parties exchanged harsh words with each other which led to scuffle between the diseased and the attackers including his wife Neelam Bibi and her in-laws including Zulfiqar, Nomi, Saima, Sana and Azra Bibi. Farazand Ali received multiple knife wounds and died on the spot while he and his mother were injured and shifted to PIMS Hospital.
Sub Inspector Habib ul Rehman told The Spokesman that Ramzan has been discharged from the hospital while his mother Hajran Bibi was out of danger now. “The police have raided at the house of the accused soon after the complaint but the accused managed to shift earlier, however it is not possible for them to hide for long time and the police will trace them in few days,” he said.

Picket police shoots man for not obeying orders

• Friday, 29 March 2013 

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The trigger happy police of the federal capital, continuing its macho image, shot and injured an innocent citizen at a picket in Bhara Kahu on Thursday night and then forced the victim to compromise or face charges of dacoity just to cover up their highhandedness. The victim was identified as Yasir, aged 30 years.
Earlier, the federal police had shot and killed a deaf person near E-11 picket on the suspicion of carrying explosives and later made it look like an event of a suicide bomber approaching them, by placing a suicide jacket and pistol with his dead body.
Eyewitnesses and relatives of latest victim revealed that on Thursday night when the police officials deployed at a picket near Bharakahu tried to stop a passing by car, they opened uncalled for firing on the victim who voluntarily stopped and stepped out of his car but ended up getting a shot in his leg.
According to details on Thursday some police officials stopped a vehicle on Murree Road near Bhara Kahu for its routine checking, but the vehicle stopped some steps ahead of the check post which annoyed the police officials. One of the officials in his annoyance fired a bullet which hit in Yasir’s leg, the 30-year-old driver of the car, while he was stepping out from his vehicle.
In an attempt to cover their mistake, the officials immediately sent a message to Bhara Kahu police station informing them that they have captured a dacoit who was injured when he resisted while being arrested.
A relative of Yasir told The Spokesman while requesting anonymity that “the senior police officials after reaching the location realized the sensitivity of the situation and shifted Yasir to Poly clinic where the doctors declared his condition out of danger. During the investigation the thing which shocked the police was that it was not easy to settle the dust as Yasir to whom police was considering an easy prey, is owner of a petrol pump in Rawalpindi”.
As soon Yasir became able to talk, the police pledged him to patch up by signing a written peace treaty, in which later it succeeded. Yasir was later shifted to a private hospital by his relatives.
When contacted, Bhara SHO Kahu Mehboob Ahmad told The Spokesman that “it was totally an accident. The official deployed at the checkpoint lost his balance during the checking of Yasir and in result a bullet was fired from his gun, accidently causing Yasir an injury. The cops themselves shifted him to the hospital. Yasir knew that he was not shot intentionally and the official did it by mistake for which he later patched up with us”.
On the other hand, when SSP Yaseen Farooque was contacted to know that either the police have enough authority to shoot an unarmed citizen for just having some suspicion, He did not receive the call. However the question about the police inquiry of the irresponsible officials was also remained unanswered as the Inspector general of Islamabad Police Bani Amin was also not available to talk as he was attending a marriage ceremony, told by his personal assistant.

It is pertinent to mention that the incident was not first of its nature as in past the capital police has in several attempts victimized the citizens by putting fake allegations or just on suspicion.

On November 8, 2009, the capital police had shot dead a ‘deaf’ man near a check point on Margalla Road, Sector E-11, on the outer ring of Islamabad. The police had claimed the man was ordered to disembark from a vehicle, which he did but then continued to approach the check post ignoring shouts to halt. Fearing he was suicide bomber, they had shot at him fatally and alleged that the car carrying him had escaped toward Saddam Chowk on Margalla Road.  He was immediately buried to H-11 graveyard without neither sharing any information nor any image of him to the media.

In September 2012, Saadat Ali aged 32 and suspect in a kidnapping case was tortured to death by Industrial Area Police during interrogation, only to later declare him innocent. 

Bharakahu murder case:

‘Virgin’ Mehek carrying lovechild, counsel tells court

• Friday, 29 March 201

Photo by the Author

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The council for the Shahzadi Bibi’s family has told the court that the accused Zahra Mehek is pregnant before marriage and she should also be charged accordingly. The case was adjourned for Saturday, March 30.

Both Ibrar Qazi and Zahra Mehek, accused for murdering Shahzadi Bibi and Sawera Hakim, were present in the courtroom of Sessions Judge Kausar Zaidi. The councils for the accused requested the court that some relaxation should be given to Zahra as she was under aged. They also requested that medical checkup of Zahra should be conducted to prove her age. 

Advocate Raja Rizwan Abbasi, the council for the victim family, later told The Spokesman that he has requested the court to also charge the accused couple under Section 376 for raping the victim, and charge Zahra under Section 496-B as she is pregnant before her marriage.

Sources within the court revealed that about 36 witnesses have been presented in court. Twenty of them were presented on Thursday. 

Police blame citizens as ‘robber housemaids’ hit

• Thursday, 28 March 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Robbers in the guise of housemaids are active depriving the citizens of their valuables in the federal capital while the police lay the blame on the victims, stating such incidents are caused by irresponsible behaviour of the citizens who appoint their housemaids without any verification.
Mazhar Iqbal, a resident of Bani Gala lodged an FIR in Bani Gala police station complaining that his family has been deprived of their valuables including jewelry, watches, camera and cash by two women, whom he had appointed as housemaids at his home.
According to details, the applicant of the FIR No 28 registered in Bani Gala police station complained the police that on 28th December 2012, two women approached their home located in Bani Gala and offered their services as housemaids, whom he appointed as they needed a housemaid. In his complaint, Mazhar Iqbal added that after working for two days, the housemaids discontinued their appearance without informing them which put his family under stress. After waiting for some days he examined his house and found that his valuables of total amount 0.4 million including jewelry, precious watches, digital camera and some cash were missing from the house, which strengthened their doubt on their newly appointed housemaids for theft. He further mentioned in the FIR that he has no information about the location and the background of the accused.
When contacted, an official at the Bani Gala police station said that such incidents happen only when the citizens show their irresponsible attitude towards appointing strangers on job at their home. “The citizen usually neither try to inquire about the background of the strangers who request to work at their home, nor do they keep any identity of them. The criminal take the advantage when the people do favor to them by taking pity after hearing the sorrowful stories from them. First it is responsibility of the people to get complete information about those whom they are hiring,” the police official maintained.
It is pertinent to mention that an incident of the same nature had also occurred on 23rd February, when Kalssom Bibi, a newly appointed maid at the house of an old couple, not only robbed the family at her first night of appointment, but also killed her mistress brutally. The accused was also not arrested by the police after the incident as the family was not having any information or identity about the accused. The only clue that was available for the police was the cell number of Kalsoom Bibi, which was later found registered by the name of some other user. 

Capital traffic cop shot

• Thursday, 28 March 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: An official of Capital traffic police was shot and injured by some unidentified men on Tuesday. SHO Arshad Ali of Koral police station told The Spokesman that “Ehsan Elahi was patrolling from Khanna Pull to Koral Town on Islamabad Highway. Near Fazaia Chowk, when around 8pm he saw three men on a motorbike trying to stop a vehicle suspiciously. The inspector stopped his vehicle to check the matter but as he came out of his car, one of the three men shot a bullet at him injuring his thigh, while the attackers escaped successfully”. He further said that the inspector is now out of danger as the bullet has missed his leg bone causing a minor injury. 

Capital Police refuses to acknowledge abductions

• Wednesday, 27 March 2013 

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Though the number of kidnapping cases in the federal capital is rising by the day, the Capital Police instead of preventing such cases insist the “abductions are not actually abductions”.  During the last two months, 13 girls have been kidnapped from the capital territory and in last 20 days alone the Capital Police has registered 10 abduction cases but they seem not interested in resolving these cases. Rather they insist that the girls in question actually ran away on their own.
The Kohsar police have lodged an FIR against three men and a woman for kidnapping a girl, in which the application complained that her daughter was abducted when she was visiting relatives. The victim’s father, Nazir, when contacted, told “The Spokesman” that her daughter has been kidnapped when she was visiting her grandmother’s house is located in Sector F-7/4 where Manga along with Riasat and George abducted her.
“On March 21, my daughter went to visit her grandmother at French Colony and after passing some time there she again left to visit her friend in neighborhood only not to return,” says Nazir. He further said that he has doubt on Manga Maseeh for kidnapping her daughter as he is also missing from his from after the incident. “On March 15, Maqsooda Bibi along with Riasat and George arrived at our home with a proposal of marrying her son, Manga, with my daughter, but I could not reply them positively as my daughter is not old enough and, secondly, I wanted to consult from my elder brother. But they were not pleased with my answer,” said Nazir.
He said when he contacted Maqsooda Bibi in this regard, she apologized for the act of her son and said soon my daughter will be recovered but when I asked them about the whereabouts of Manga, they kept complete silence which is doubts their role of supporting us.
The investigating officer ASI Nadeem Tahir told “The Spokesman” that initially it seems that the incident has been caused by a love affair between the accused and the abducted girl. “The investigation of the case has been started and police have taken only the statement of the applicants whilst the statement of the accused family yet to be taken”, says ASI Nadeem.
“However”, he fadded, “Maqsooda Bibi, the mother of the accused when contacted told me that the girl has gone with her son willingly as they have an affair and she was not abducted.”
On the other hand, on March 25, Syed Younas also registered an FIR in Bhara Kahu police station, stating that her daughter Maryam Bibi has been abducted by Abid and four other men and a woman, when she was visiting a market along with her family. However, investigating officer ASI Muhammad Nawaz when contacted said neither any progress has been made regarding investigation, nor he knows much about the case. After this case, the total number of kidnapping cases registered in Bhara Kahu police station during last 20 day has reached to 04.
Mehboob Ahmad, SHO of Bhara Kahu police station, refused the allegations of a rise in kidnapping cases in his area. He said, “The 95pc kidnapping cases actually do not fall in this category, as most of the girls after being recovered give their statement in court that they were not kidnapped and went with their lovers on their own.” To strengthen his statement, he gave an example of the case in which the FIR against the accused for kidnapping was cancelled on the request of the abducted girl. “Noor al-Ain Bibi who was kidnapped from Bhara Kahu told a court that she and the man accused of kidnapping her have married, adding that she was not kidnapped.”

Capital becoming a den of carjackers, kidnappers

• Tuesday, 26 March 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Once considered the safe haven of Pakistan, the federal capital has turned into a stronghold of criminals, especially the carjackers and kidnappers. The registration of 330 FIRs during the last fortnight is a testimony of the fact.
In last two weeks, there have been 10 death cases, including four murders, nine attempts to murder, eight kidnappings, two suicides, 20 car thefts, 25 thefts and robberies, 43 fraud cases, including 34 dishonoured cheques and 36 narcotics cases in the federal capital. Interestingly enough it has emerged that nine police stations in the capital’s urban areas have registered a glaring 55.16 percent of the total crimes committed in the capital. The rest goes to the remaining nine rural area police stations.
The carjackers mostly liked to pick Civic and Mehran cars, with only four motorbikes from the core of the capital during the last 15 days, imprinting a question mark on the performance of the Islamabad Police. The cops, it seems, have completely failed in stopping the cars from being stolen, despite a webcob of pickets all over the city.
The Margallah police station seems to have become an attractive hunting ground for car thieves where during the last fortnight five cars were stolen from different areas, including G-8/2 School, G-9/1 School, F-8 Markaz, and Nori Hospital. On the other hand, four cars were lifted from the areas under the Kohsar police, two cars and one motorbike were lifted from G-10 Markaz, under the jurisdiction of Ramna police, two cars and one bike were taken away from Aabpara area, one car from I-8/2 in Industrial Area, one car from Garden Town, near Shahzad Town police station, one car from Lake View Park in the area of Secretariat police station, one motorbike from the area of Koral police station, one car from Tarnol, one from Shalimar police station’s area and one from Bharakahu.
The sad story does not end with the cars and bikes being lifted. The fortnight in question also saw seven women/ girls and one teenage boy being kidnapped from different areas of the city. The four abducted girls belonged to the Bharakahu area, which is fast turning unsafe for women. Awais (a boy) and Iram Shehzadi (a girl) were kidnapped in an area in the jurisdiction of the Shalimar police while Zahida Bibi was abducted from Golra.
Meanwhile, the capital police have recovered hundreds of weapons and ammunition in 49 recovery cases. The most unsecure area, during the last two weeks, was Margalla police station, where police registered 36 FIRs within the said time. The registered cases were regarding theft, intimidation, and breach of trust, car lifting, frauds, liquor and narcotics recovery, and attempt of murder.
On the other hand, SSP Yaseen Farooque has told “The Spokesman” that the Islamabad police was taking strict action against the car-lifters. “The capital police have raided many areas, including Peshawar and Mardan, to recover the lifted vehicles,” SSP Yaseen said. He, however, maintained that most kidnapping-for-ransom cases were fake. “The major cases like the case of Shahzadi Bibi have been solved. Other abduction cases are not much difficult to solve as most of these girls themselves go with their ‘kidnappers’,” SSP Yaseen maintained.

Bharakahu murder case:

Murder charge-sheet submitted

• Tuesday, 26 March 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Charge-sheet was submitted on Tuesday against Abrar, the Bharakahu murder case accused, in the sessions court and the court called him again on 28th for next hearing. Ibrar Qazi and his accomplice in the murder of two girls -- Sawera Hakim and Shahzadi Bibi -- were presented in the courtroom to hear Judge Kausar Zaidi announce the charge-sheet. 

On the next date of hearing the court will see evidences against them, The Spokesman has learnt. Advocate Rukshanda, the counsel for the accused, told The Spokesman that her clients had confessed their crime in front of a magistrate but not in front of a sessions court. “The future course of the case will depend upon the evidence. The police have already been given orders to exhume the graves of the victims to provide the evidence to the court.”

Ibrar Qazi and his lover Zahra Mehek were arrested in February for murdering Shahzadi Bibi, aged 11. Qazi has already told police that he raped Bibi fefore killing her. During the investigation, the couple disclosed that they also victimised four more girls whom Zahra gave toxic medicine before Ibrar raped the unconscious girls. 

Youth fed up with lengthy job hours goes missing

• Saturday, 23 March 2013

 Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The Shalimar police on Saturday registered an FIR for the kidnapping of a teenager who went missing about a month ago. Muhammad Awais, aged 14 and resident of Bhara Kahu, was a salesman at a general store in F-10 Markaz, police said.
The youth’s mother told the police on Saturday that he went missing on February 19. Rahat Bibi later told The Spokesman that her younger son, Awais was introduced to the owner of the general store by one of her relatives in August 2012.
“On February 18, Awais went to work only not to return. She said the owner of the general store told her that on February 19 Awais left the shop to buy some medicine and then did not return. She further told this paper that a few days before his disappearance Awais had left his job but without informing his master but rejoined the store after staying home for a few days.
“His duty was so tough that he could only sleep for not more than two hours. He was also not given any weekly days off,” his mother further said. Most of the time he stayed back at the store during the night, she added. After getting frustrated with his job, he left it many times in the past but every time rejoined it after we convinced him to,” said a weeping Rahat Bibi.
She said that Awais complained to her a couple of times that one Abbasi, a good friend of the shop owner, often visited the store and misbehaved with her son. She said that she has come to the police station after a long wait and in the hope that Awais will himself return home. “I started searching him when he did not return for several days”. She said she approached the police after not getting any clue of his missing son.
On the other hand, Chaudhary Mustafa, the owner of the general store, said that on February 19, Awais had gone to a medical store in front of the shop to buy a cough syrup as he was not feeling well. “The medical store is on a walking distance from our shop, but when Awais did not return after some hours, we thought that once again he has gone back to home, repeating his past practice. Two days later we contacted her mother to inquire after him but she showed complete ignorance about him,” said Mustafa. “Awais was a good boy. And we did not see him involved in any kind of suspicious activity nor he had a bad company.”
Investigating officer ASI Murtaza Qamar told The Spokesman that the reason behind the missing of Awais is that he was neither in contact with his family nor his shop as he did not have a mobile phone. “However we have started our investigation and published the advertisement of the missing and also displayed at other police stations.”

Another case surfaces as Islamabad Police likes delaying FIRs

• Friday, 22 March 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: It seems that it has become a tradition with the Islamabad Police to delay the registration of FIRs. A fresh example of FIR delays has been witnessed, with cops registering the FIR against a robber two weeks after the submission of an application.
According to details, FIR No 143 has been lodged in Shahzad Town Police Station in which the application stated that her wife and mother in law were robbed in broad day light in Margalla Town when two men on a motorbike deprived them of their cash, jewelry and mobile phone on gun point and escaped safely.
However, the date of the incident in the FIR has been mentioned as March 6 while the FIR was registered on March 21.
When contacted, Ahmad, the complainant, told The Spokesman that the incident happened to his wife and mother-in-law, when they were returning home after visiting a relative in Margalla Town. Unfortunately neither the registration number of the bike was noted nor the robbers identified by the victims as they were harassed by the incident.
“On March 5, I approached to Shahzad Town police station and submitted an application of the incident but the FIR was not registered instantly” said the Ahmad. He said the police satisfied him by saying that they will take action on his application and soon the accused will be arrested, but after two weeks of his application, the police again called him to the police station for submitting another application for the FIR.
“After two weeks of the incident on when I was nearly hapless for any progress regarding the arrest of the accused, the police again called me 20th March and demanded to sign on another application for
the FIR.
The application was having the same text as mine except addition of a sentence in which they mentioned that I am submitting this application today as previously I was inquiring the incident in my community at my own” said Ahmad. He further added that in this vulnerable situation he duly signed the application as according to him there was no any other way to get justice or to see the accused
under arrest.
On the other hand, Assistant Sub Inspector Muhammad Hanif, the investigation officer of the case when contacted stated that the police lodged the FIR soon after the application submitted. “The applicant before submitting the application he was probing the incident in his local community as he had some doubt on his neighbors and relatives but after failing to get any clue, he approached to police station”, said ASI Muhammad Hanif. 

(The name of the applicant has been changed on his request.)

PIMS bathroom construction piques in-patients’ peace

• Friday, 22 March 2013

HOMER BALOCH

ISLAMABAD: In what seems like negligence of the administration of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences towards the care of the in-patients, the construction process in a medical ward is creating a miserable situation regarding cleanliness.
In Surgical Ward No 6, having the space for 20 beds, the construction process of a staff bathroom is causing troubles as the construction material is reaching in different wards of the surgical section.
Abdul Jabbar, visiting his sister admitted to Surgical Ward No 6 told The Spokesman, “I never witnessed such a bad situation of sanitation before, not even in the hospitals of rural areas for which PIMS is portrayed as a model hospital.” Another patient admitted to the ward said that the poor sanitation situation is causing difficulty in breathing.
A doctor in the wards, requesting anonymity, said that the sanitation situation is not only irking the patients but the doctors as well, as they have to move from ward to ward by passing through the same corridor where the construction material is spread all over. He said the administration has been reported about the problem but the place has not been cleaned yet.
A sanitary worker appointed in the ward said that after every hour he cleans the sand of the wards shifted due to movement of doctors and staff, but it is not the solution as the administration should adopt a proper way to remove the material ultimately from the wards.
PIMS spokesperson Dr. Waseem Khwaja, when contacted, said that the matter is in their notice and the hospital administration “cannot neglect the importance of cleanliness in the hospital’s wards”. He said the construction process will be completed in couple of days after which the material will be removed completely.

Youth sets himself on fire at D-Chowk

• Friday, 22 March 2013

Photo by the Author

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: A youth who immolated himself at D-Chowk during a protest demonstration on Friday died a few hours after the incident in Pakistan Institute of Medical Science.  The 25-year-old Fazal Rabbi of Peshawar was demonstrating in front of the Parliament Lodges, when suddenly he immolated himself. He was shifted to PIMS for his serious burn injuries by the Secretariat police. The police said, “Normally people take such steps just to record their demonstration, but Fazal Rabbi’s reasons for taking such an extreme measure are unclear.”  Initially he was shifted to Poly Clinic (hospital) where the doctors referred him to PIMS. The hospital sources had earlier said that the victim had 50 percent chances of his survival. “The victim is in critical situation and it will take some time to declare how much he has burned his body,” said the source.

Capital police in panic over change of command

Saturday, 16 March 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: At the time when all the ruling parties are set to lose their powers, panic has been created among the top slots of capital police as most of the Station House Officers (SHO) in police stations of federal capital have been appointed on the recommendation of political personalities belonging from ruling parties.
Sources within Islamabad police told The Spokesman that most of the SHO has affiliation with strong political parties of the region like PPPP and PML-Q, telling further that now the SHO’s has started to use their political influences to either trying to get their roots deeper in their current allocations, or to get transfer to their desired police stations.
The SHO of Margalla Police Station Irshad Ali Abro is said to be a PPP activist who enjoyed the influence of a senior female politician of the ruling party. Sources said many senior officials of the Islamabad police time and again tried to remove the Abro from the post of SHO Margall but could not do so just because of his close affiliation with the ruling party and interior minister Rehman Malik.
He said that Abro belongs from the Sindh province and had enjoyed good relations with the slain PPP leader Benazir Bhutto and soon after the formation of PPP led government, Abro became a most powerful official of the capital police.
A senior police official requesting anonymity said that Fazal-Ur-Rehman, the SHO of Tarnol Police Station was appointed there on his own desire by using the influence from presidency as one of his brothers is also appointed in the presidency as a guard. The same guard was also alleged to misbehave with a minister but the issue was later resolved after the ‘negotiations’. He said SHO Fazal will continue using his influence to stay in his desired police station, during the care taker government.
SHO Qaiser Gilani of Secretariat Police Station also enjoys the influence of an MNA of Multan who was elected on reserved seat of women and currently residing in Bharakahu area of Islamabad. SHO Sajjad Bukhari of Police Station Shahzad Town is seeking for the influence of Senator Nayyar Bukhari who also helped him in his appointment at Shahzad Town Police Station, however SHO Fayaz Ranjha of Police Station Bani Gala and SHO Haq Nawaz Ranjha of Police Station Aabpara are who are also looking towards PML (Q) as they are their activists, according to reliable sources.
The sources revealed that during the last five years, the crime ration in the capital has been raised up to 79% but most of the cases did not come to the notice of the higher authorities as well as the media because all the SHO’s and Moharrar’s were strictly directed by the higher officials to not to share any information directly to the media as the police spokesperson was authorized to give details in this regard, who filtered all the information before sharing just to portray a crime free picture of the capital, and to hide the negligence and incompetency of the Islamabad Police. It was also revealed by the sources that few months ago the previous PRO of Islamabad Police, Zia Bajwa was dismissed from his post by IG Islamabad by mentioning that he was no taking sufficient steps towards blocking the news against the Islamabad police, and currently the Zia Bajwa is performing his duties in the area of Margalla police station as a constable.
Most of the SHO and senior police officials are cautious about the care taker government with their concerns as either the care taker prime minister or the president will have the executive powers. When contacted Naeem, spokesperson of Islamabad police to confirm the official requests and possibilities regarding postings, he was out of reach.

Students pay teacher’s salary to continue studies

Saturday, 16 March 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Owing to the lack of attention on part of the authorities concerned, the College for Medical and Laboratory Technology has been suffering from shortage of staff in each department to teach hundreds of its students
According to details, CMLT, which works under National Institute of Health, has been going through shortage of staff due to which the available teachers have no choice but to take more than two subjects to cover the syllabus, which is irking the students as well as the teachers.
A large number of students doing BSC and FSC at the college have complained that they are not being given proper attention by the faculty which is affecting their studies. “There are subjects like petrology, instrumentation and blood banking. These subjects are being covered by a single female teacher for the FSc as well as the BSc classes at the same time.
“Other subjects like parasitology are also going through the same situation leaving a question mark on the studies of the students as well as the role of the NIH management,” said a student. According to some other students, earlier the college had the faculty for these subjects. “Due to delay in salaries, the staff was forced to leave the institution. The teacher who taught us these subjects left the institution because he was not being paid according to his contract. The students then arranged money at our own to pay him for the month because there was no replacement in the faculty and we had our exams to be held in few days,” said yet another student.
The institute’s management has not paid any attention toward students’ sufferings as the college is still not having any permanent faculty for many subjects. The students also accused the management of not hiring permanent faculty, despite the fact that student fees for the latest batches have also been raised by 40 percent. The college had previously affiliation with King Edward Medical University of Lahore. That was later terminated. It was then affiliated with University of the Punjab, which caused increase in the fee structure.
Principal Dr Mohammad Hussain, when contacted, said, “These issues are not only CMLT’s issues. These are everywhere.” He said currently they have hired one of their ex-students who topped in her college exams as a teacher for the subjects that have no faculty. He said the reason why the college lacked permanent faculty was a ban on new recruitments imposed by the Election Commission of Pakistan.
On the other hand, National Institute of Health Director Administration Dr Saqlain Ahmad Gilani told The Spokesman that “The number of teachers is enough according to the number of the students in the college. Normally people with expertise from different departments also take classes, which is not wrong as it happens in all other colleges”.

Pollen allergy:

More patients despite decrease in pollens

• Friday, 15 March 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Although the number of pollens in air has been decreased due to the rain, the Pakistan Institute of Medical Science still witnessed an increase in the number of patients on Friday. PIMS received 1600 patients allergic to pollens during the last 15 days. However 40 patients has been received during the last day. PIMS spokesperson Dr Waseem Khawaja, while talking to The Spokesman, said that about 60 to 70 patients affected by pollen were visiting PIMS every day. He said that the pollens can cause chest and lungs infections, however those who are allergic with the pollens can avoid more suffering by adopting precautions, which are, covering their nose and faces with a mask.
However avoiding sour foods and gargles with lukewarm water can also be helpful. “The allergy can only be removed completely when the trees and plants causing it are removed, otherwise the situation will go on,” said Dr Waseem. On Friday, the number of pollens in the air was 4426 in Sector H-8, however in the other sectors namely E-8, F-8, G-7 and I-8, there were 1235, 1189, 314 and 15 pollens per cubic meter respectively.
An official in the Pakistan Metrological Department said that various plants has started producing pollens in the capital including Paper Mulberry, Acacia, Eucalyptus, Pines, Grasses, Cannabis and Dandelion specifically. Among which Paper Mulberry has the highest rate of producing pollens.

Capital Police:

Capital police website lacks everything but the IG

• Thursday, 14 March 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Police seems active only in promoting their high-ups instead of facilitating the residents of the federal capital, as their official website only shows the picture of IG Bani Amin Khan, leaving off the shelf the crime data of 2012 and 2013 and any updates of the survey regarding religious seminaries and mosques.
On the other hand, in a strange move, the ICT police have displayed the picture of a private mall as a landmark instead of uploading any national building, landmark or monument’s picture.
According to details, the website www.islamabadpolice.gov.pk of the ICT police which was developed to facilitate and assure the interaction between the public and the police department has not been updated properly by irking the citizens who access the website to get basic information. The data available on the website tells that till January 2012, the number of mosques in the capital territory was 712 among which 105 were registered. However the number of Madrissas was 228. Whereas according to some sources, about 50 new mosques and 15 Madrissas are formed during the last year.
Same is the case with the crime statement available on the website. The statement is of year 2011 which tells that 6793 cases were registered and 6097 Challans were submitted in the year; however the crime statement of 2012 has not been uploaded on the website yet.
There is a list of all 18 police stations of Islamabad available on the web among which, the web links for the details of two police stations namely Police Station Bharakahu and Police Station Tarnol are not accessible for the public, however the telephone numbers of Kohsar Police Station are also not updated, The Spokesman has learnt.
Moreover, there is also a picture of a private mall ‘centaurs’ is displayed on the website, instead of displaying a picture of any place, building or a landmark having a national significance like Faisal Mosque or the National Monument.
Kiran, an official at web section of Islamabad Police Headquarters told The Spokesman that, “as being a government officials we have no authority to update the data on website without getting approval from higher authorities. In January, we requested the authorities for the latest data during our meeting, and the director has also forwarded the letter and we are still waiting for the latest data”. However Dr. Sultan Azam Taimoori DIG Headquarter when contacted said, “Although the picture of Centaurs (mall) on our official website is not logical, it was uploaded just to decorate the website. However there are some issues regarding the timely updating of the website just because we have to deal with various other matters as well.” 

Students facing neglect at top education board

Wednesday, 13 March 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The students turning towards the head office of the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education are suffering due to irresponsible behaviour of the administration; however the ‘agents’ are active on the other hand to ‘assist’ the these helpless students for money.
The FBISE administration is forcing the students to again verify their already verified degrees from their concerned educational boards and universities for attestations, which is affecting a large number of students from far-flung areas. Waqas Arif, student of BS (Hon) who came to visit FBISE from Gujrat, told The Spokesman that he completed his intermediate from Gujrat in 2006 and then verified his certificate from the concerned board on February 6, 2012 after paying Rs 3250 as fee. He said that he could not send his documents for the attestation immediately for some reasons, which has created an issue for him.
“FBISE staff totally refused my request and suggested me to again verify my certificates from the board after which they would be able to attest it because according to them, they have no records of the verified documents older than three months,” said Waqas. However, according to him, another official interfered during his discussion with the staff members, by telling him to stay at a side where a person will meet him who can resolve his issue.
“After waiting for some time, a person wearing uniform of a security guard met and offered me that my documents will be attested immediately if I pay him 2000, excluding the attestation fee which is Rs 400 only, but I refused his offer and he disappeared,” he added. Wasiq Abbasi, another student from district Bagh of Azad Kashmir, said that he was also visiting the office for attestation of his degree but was facing the same hurdles by the staff.
“The staff declined attestation of my degree by telling that they are considering only those documents for the attestation which are verified after 2010. Unfortunately, mine was verified in 2009,” he said. He said that he was also told by a staff member that if he can wait for some time, a person will meet him to resolve his issues, but no one has met him yet. Abdul Wahab was also visiting the FBISE office to attest the documents of his niece who is residing in England.
He said that he was told by the staff to bring an authority letter from the owner of the documents, which was not possible for him currently. He said that he requested the staff again to attest without the authority letter for which again he was told to wait at a place where a person will meet him for his assistance. “I am ready to pay any amount the person may ask for, just because I have already wasted three days in this process and today they revealed that I would be requiring an authority letter,” he said.
When contacted, Mohammad Iqbal Khankhel, deputy director at the Inter-Board Committee of Chairman, told The Spokesman that, “We are receiving hundreds of applications for documents attestation and equivalent certificates daily which forces us to replace the record with the latest one.” National Assembly’s Standing Committee for Education Chairman Sheikh Rohale Asghar said that, “if someone writes us about the issue within two days, we may consider it in the last meeting of the standing committee.”

Woman kidnapped from murdered Shahzadi Bibi’s area

Saturday, 09 March 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: A few weeks after the brutal murder of Shahzadi Bibi of Bhara Kahu, a woman has been kidnapped from the same area, police said on Wednesday. The 20-year-old married woman (her name not being mentioned upon request) was allegedly kidnapped from her parents’ house. An FIR has been lodged against the kidnapper. The father of the woman while speaking to The Spokesman said, “Last year, the kidnapper (his name also being withheld) who lived in our neighborhood sent some women of his family at our place and proposed for our daughter, but we refused. The man later again sent his family members but we refused again.”  Her father said that after that incident, he married his daughter. “The kidnapper threatened us that he would get our daughter even after her marriage,” he said. “On Wednesday, we invited our daughter at our home. After some time, she went out only not to return.” He said he tried to contact the kidnapper on his cell phone for several times but he did not receive the calls. “However, we somehow contacted his brother, who initially assured us that our daughter will return home very soon. But later he said he has no idea where she or his brother was. He also told us that his brother has left the home and also took away an amount of Rs 100,000.” Meanwhile, Sub-Inspector Ghulam Muhammad Shah, the investigating officer, told The Spokesman that According to their probe the kidnapper is a native of Bannu, adding that he is a Hafiz-e-Quran and teaches the Holy Book online. He received his Quranic education from a madrassa in Satra Meel.

Mysterious death case:

Prisoner’s death damns doctors, police

• Friday, 08 March 2013

Deceased prisoner Khurram Shahzad - File Phote 

Homer Baloch

RAWALPINDI: Mysterious death of a murderer has become a headache for the doctors as well as the police due to uncertainty about the death causes of Khurram Shahzad, who died on February 23 in the District Headquarter Hospital.

A doctor in the DHQ Hospital while requesting anonymity revealed that the initial autopsy report of Khurram Shahzad says that he was a drug addicted as well as a patient of schizophrenia, and he had also consulted the doctors for his treatment twice. During the post mortem, doctors examined the body for any sign of cardiopulmonary arrest or chemical reaction, he said. 

According to him, different samples of his body have been sent to forensic laboratory in Lahore. “The doctors cannot say anything about the reasons of his death, and will be able to declare before receiving the forensic report. The report is expected to be received in one month,” he said. Another doctor said that the patient remained in unconscious condition for four days after being admitted in the hospital, died in the same condition.

She doubted that the patient may have died due to his drug addiction. On the other hand, the Adiala Jail police are also doubtful about the death of their prisoner. An official on anonymity said that Khurram Shahzad was suffering from mental disorder and was found in strange activities like hitting his head with his cell’s wall. He said the jail’s doctor also reported about his mental condition.

He said they were also confused about his condition when on February 20 he was shifted to the DHQ Hospital in unconscious condition. He said all the prisoners had the same food that Khurram had which tells that the food was okay. However, the doctor’s phone number was not responding when contacted. Rashid, in charge of the mortuary in the DHQ Hospital, said that he stitched up the body of Khurram after his post mortem on February 23, but did not see any other mark of wound on his body.

It merits mentioning that in 2011, Khurram Shahzad natively from Rahimyar Khan and studying in Islamic International Medical College of Riphah University in Rawalpindi shot five bullets on the staff members of his college resulting death of his vice principal Brig Sanaullah, and injuring three other teachers. Later, the reason behind his act appeared as he was continuously being failed in the same subject of ‘medicine’ for many years while passing the others.

It was also learnt that the reason behind his failure in the subject was his clashes with Dr Ayaz, head of the department of the community medicine. Khurram Shahzad was immediately arrested by the police and later shifted to the Adiala Jail where after spending almost two years, he was shifted to the DHQ Hospital in Rawalpindi in uncertain condition resulting his death.

Private university turns into a no-go area

• Friday, 01 March 2013

Photo by SALMAN MUSHTAQ for The Spokesman

Ghaznanfar Abbass

RAWALPINDI: The latest no-go area in the country has burst out into the limelight right next to Army Headquarters in Rawalpindi where a reporter of daily The Spokesman, Homer Baloch, was detained by retired Brigadier Maqsood ul Haq and his accomplices including Dr. Ayaz Bhatti at gunpoint for daring to enter the university legally and having the audacity to ask questions about murders at a privately run university.
The TS reporter was following up a news story involving the deaths of vice principal of this college Brig (retd) Sanaullah Khan at the hands of a final-year student and the subsequent death of the suspected student Khurram Shahzad under mysterious circumstances. The reporter went to see the newly appointed vice principal Brig (retd) Maqsoodul Haq for his version and after identifying himself at the gate, he was allowed to enter the university with a visitor’s pass. As the reporter was approaching the VP’s office, armed security guards led him first to see Dr Ayaz Bhatti, head of the department for Community Medicine.
Once Dr Ayaz's heavily guarded door opened, the reporter was shoved inside to face a volley of questions and abuses from Dr Ayaz and his cohorts. The reporter was threatened to surrender his ID cards and then Dr Ayaz let his henchmen loose on the hapless reporter to rough him up for the next few minutes. While the beating continued, Dr Ayaz called the front gate guard and summarily sacked him for letting the reporter into the university. Once the reporter was shaken up properly, he was shoved into a separate room guarded by armed men who kept asking him who sent him to work on "such a story?”
When Dr Ayaz left with his guards to call the police and to say his Friday prayers, the reporter called his office. Dr Ayaz never returned because the rest of the episode was taken over by newly appointed Vice Principal Brig (retd) Maqsoodul Haq who asked the armed guards to bring the reporter to his room.
As TS management approached the retired brigadier and other more senior officials to ensure the safety and release of the reporter, Brigadier Maqsood started misbehaving with them by telling them “I am not afraid of the media”. Brig Maqsood offered to release the reporter and return his confiscated IDs only if he signed an unconditional apology admitting that he came to the university to steal something. He was also threatened to sign a written statement that the episode nor anything related to the university would be made public by him. And these demands were happening in the presence of police officials from Race Course PS while armed guards of the University were coercing the reporter to sign or face dire consequences. Meanwhile, as the management of the newspaper arrived at the University followed by other working journalists, the brigadier let the reporter go free after five hours of detention.
But as The Spokesman management approached the Retired Brigadier and other high ups to ensure safety and release of its reporter, Brigadier Retired Maqsood started misbehaving with them by telling them that “I am not afraid of media”. Several police high ups and those present at the scene of kidnapping were finally approached to find out about the well being of the kidnapped reporter, informed the GM of the daily.
The Spokesman management has filed an application with the Race Course PS against Vice Principal of Ripha Medical Colleges Brig (retd) Maqsoodul Haq and HOD Community Medicine, Dr Ayaz Bhatti for illegal detention/kidnapping of reporter, manhandling, threatening and snatching the official IDs from reporter Homer Baloch. Police did not register any FIR till the filing of this report. When contacted IG Police Punjab, Khan Baig assured the daily's management that he would direct the concerned police officials to register FIR.