Lady commandos guarding Musharraf

• Saturday, 27 April 2013

HOMER BALOCH

ISLAMABAD: With the Taliban and other banned outfits adopting novel techniques to carry out terror activities, the Islamabad police have also come up with an innovative but feminine method to protect former President Pervez Musharraf by using female commandos deployed at his security, as a human shield.
Taliban are against targeting women and the ‘female circle’ around the former commando, the police high-ups believe, would make the Taliban and other ‘enemies’ of Musharraf think before carrying out an attack against him. According to the sources in the Islamabad police, a group of under-training recruits of Islamabad lady police has been deployed to protect the former President.
The Capital Police has deployed about 40 of its lady police constables at the farmhouse of former president Pervez Musharraf, which has already been declared as a sub-jail. Normally the lady police officials are deployed for the security of female prisoners or to protect the family members of female prisoners but currently not a single female family member of Pervez Musharraf is residing at the farmhouse (sub-jail).
While talking to The Spokesman, a lady police constable who is also part of Musharraf’s security team said, “around 10 women police officers are staying at the Bani Gala Police station where we are given a single room, while the others are at Shahzad Town Police Station. During our duty timings, three to four lady police officials are deployed at the farmhouse just to check the female lawyers and visitors while the rest stay at the police stations as reserve force. The rooms we are given at the police stations are insufficient according to our strength and several times we brought this issue to the notice of our high officials but in reply we are told that we have to go through the situation for only few days and it is a part of our training”, the lady constable said.
Another lady police constable requesting anonymity said that, “Currently there are about 40 lady constables deployed for duty at the farmhouse, while during our off or break timings, we are advised to stay at the Shahzad Town or Bani Gala Police station which are nearby the farmhouse. But what makes the situation worst for us is that the capital police have not provided us even separate bathrooms and we have to share the bathrooms with our male colleagues, while the bathrooms available are also in worst condition.”
When contacted, Sardar Sadaqat Ali Khan, Superintendent of Police (Rural) told The Spokesman, “These female constables are actually trainees at the police headquarters, and are deployed at the farmhouse (sub-jail) to protect the former president in case of any female terrorist attack. Pervez Musharraf is already having threats from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan as well as the female students of Jamia Hifza”. However when he was asked about the miserable condition of the female constables, he said “The Capital police have provided each and every facility to its officials”.

Power Corridor:

Babus demanding bribe to vet house possessions

• Friday, 26 April 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The government departments, it seems, have avowed to irritate citizens instead of facilitating them. A fresh example of the above-said attitude is the case of a flat/quarter that is not being handed over to its bona fide allottee without bribe. The officials at estate office instead of releasing the quarter from illegal possession for its legal allottee, are asking for the bribe, claimed by the victim.
The documents reveal that Zia Ullah Khan, working as Stenographer in the Ministry of Privatization on deputation basis, was allotted a quarter vide estate office Letter No. 9/7-D, G-9/2/EII/EO, on which he obtained protective stay order from the court of civil judge.
On that time, the house was in the possession of Arif Khan, who was working as statistical assistant at the Federal Bureau of Statistics. It is revealed in the documents that Arif Khan was getting retired on June 15, 2012, while he was granted a grace period of six months to handover the quarter to its new allottee.
“On December 14, after the expiry of the grace period for handing over the possession of the quarter, I forwarded an application requesting to handover the possession of the quarter peacefully, but then I came to know that during past the grace period, the quarter was illegally re-allotted to a charge nurse of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences,” said Zia Ullah Khan, the victim.  He said that he visited Malik Noman Langrial, the then Minister of State for Housing, several time to bring the issue into his notice.
“The minister directed to inquire the issue and submit the inquiry report within three days. Although it had been confirmed during the inquiry that I was the real allottee of the quarter while the allotment letter of the nurse was declared bogus, the inquiry report was never submitted to the minister despite his orders,” said Zia.
He said after visiting the office again and again, the estate office finally issued a notice on January 3, 2013, to the current possessor of the quarter directing him to handover the possession of the quarter within 24 hours, but all in vain.
He claimed that now the official of the estate office as well as the police instead of providing him justice has joined their hands with the illegal possessor and demanded him bribe.
“When Arif failed to handover the possession of the quarter despite the notice issued, I approached to the enforcement cell of the estate office and requested to release the quarter from his possession but they refused to provide any sort of assistance, while Joint Estate Officer Ayub Khan, Inspector Sarfraz and Sub-Inspector Tahir hameed demanded twenty thousand rupees for vacation of the subject quarter, which I paid to Mr Ayub Kahn, they did nothing,” said Zia.
He said after two months, he again visited Mr Ayub with the same request but he again demanded even higher amount of bribe through his middle man.
“Mr Ayub along with his enforcement staff namely Inspector Sarfraz and Sub-Inspector Tahir Hameed demanded me rupees 100,00  through Assistant Sub-Inspector Asghar Ali of Margala Police Station, for releasing the quarter from illegal possession, which I refused. 

Mush house proximity terrorises Chak Shahzad

Wednesday, 24 April 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Declaring Pervez Musharraf’s Chak Shahzad farmhouse a sub-jail might have some relief for the former president but not for the people residing nearby, as the explosives-laden vehicle found there on Tuesday has sent shockwaves through the locals.
The residents have demanded the authorities concerned to shift Musharraf to Adiala Jail or elsewhere instead of keeping him in the farmhouse, as they are not satisfied with the security arrangements.
Tariq Mahmood, a resident of Shahzad Town, located next to the farmhouse in Chak Shahzad, told The Spokesman, “The area was safe and sound before the sub-jail announcement for the farmhouse. But now the place has become a security threat, as Tuesday’s explosives-laden vehicle has shocked us all.”
Talking to The Spokesman, Naeem Ahmad, another resident of the area, said, “The police as well as the capital administration has failed to provide security to the citizens; Tuesday’s incident is a good example of poor security arrangements.” The police seem satisfied after defusing the bomb, but the question needing the answer is that how the vehicle reached the area in the presence of hundreds of guards and security officials.
“The police deployed more of its officials and pickets in the area to hide their failure after the incident, but this is not the solution as Pervez Musharraf has to be shifted to Adiala Jail to save the citizens from risk because such incident can also occur in future while the capital police and administration has no plans for that,” said Naeem.
Residents were also directly affected in the investigation after the incident. Haji Jamal Akbar, a resident of a slum located in front of the farmhouse, said that since the incident occurred, the capital police instead of taking the investigation into a right way, rushed into the slums and started checking various houses as well as people for nothing, which at one hand made them leave empty handed as well as irked the residents. “Police followed its traditional way of investigation by raiding the slum like it always do after such incidents,” he added.
A senior police official while requesting anonymity revealed the way the explosives were planted into the vehicle and it easily reached the destination it seems that the whole ‘scenario was fully planned’. “It is not militants’ method to detonate explosive with remote control device, especially in cities. They usually send suicide bombers for such high profile targets,” he added.
He further said that declaring a building as sub jail in a residential area was never a piece of cake for the security agencies but due to the pressure from the army, the capital administration has to take the bitter pill by detaining him in his own farmhouse which is far more facilitated than Adiala Jail.
Shahzad Town Police Station SHO Sajjad Bukhari, when contacted, said that the vehicle is still in police custody and the situation is under their control. “The Police though have not found any clue of the person who parked the vehicle outside of the farmhouse but the chassis number as well as the registration number of the vehicle to trace its owner, which will guide the police to reach the main culprit. On the other hand, SSP (City) Yaseen Farooq was not available when The Spokesman tried to contact him. However his staff said that he was attending a case in the Supreme Court with the Inspector General of Islamabad Police Bani Amin Khan.
Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has also distanced itself from the said incident. TTP spokesperson Ihsanullah Ihsan in an email to media said, “Taliban deny any involvement in the media claims that some amount of explosive is found near Musharraf house in Chak Shahzad area; TTP will prove itself by action very soon.”
On Tuesday, a car having registration number QM-749 and laden with explosives was seized near the farmhouse of Pervez Musharraf in Chakk Shahzad, which was later defused by bomb disposal squad. According to police details, the explosives were weighted 40 kilograms while detonators, time device and remote control were also attached with the explosives.

PIMS boss Dr Riaz disqualified

• Monday, 22 April 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences’ Executive Director Dr Riaz Warraich has  finally dismissed from his post by an Islamabad High Court decision in which the court declared his appointment as null and void here on Monday.
According to the details, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui while hearing the petition filed by PIMS’ Joint Executive Director Dr Altaf Hussain against the appointment of Dr Riaz Warraich as PIMS’ Executive Director, declared his appointment illegal.
The court also ordered the establishment division to appoint a new ED for the institute as soon as possible. Advocate Shoaib Shaheen, the council for Dr Altaf Hussain during the hearing told the bench that the post for executive director requires a medical specialist, orthopedic surgeon or a cardiologist but Dr Warraich was not qualifying for it as he was having a degree of dentist.
On the other hand, sources confirmed that Dr Warraich was appointed in October 2012, was a blue eyed of CAAD’s Former Minister Mr Nazar Gondal and involved in many irregularities and illegal recruitments during his tenure by using his political influence. On March 26, Justice Siddiqui had restrained Dr Warraich from his post after a petition filed by Dr Hussain.
An officer working in PIMS administration said that Dr Warraich also desired to become the first vice chancellor of the newly announced Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto University by using his influence.
He said that Dr Warraich made many irregularities in the rules to become the first vice chancellor of SZAB University. But in current situation, he is not only removed from his post but also disqualified for becoming the vice chancellor of the university. 

Power Corridor:

Powerful lady ‘jumped’ to next grades violating rules

Thursday, 18 April 2013

HOMER BALOCH

ISLAMABAD: The Joint Executive Director and Chief Drug Control & Traditional Medicine Division of National Institute of Health, Dr Farnaz Malik is holding the post in clear violation of the laid down rules.
Documents available with The Spokesman have revealed that Dr Farnaz Malik was promoted as Chief DC &TMD (BPS-20) vide Ministry of Health vide Letter No. F.10-56/2005-E-II on September 2, 2005 and subsequent office order No. 980 dated 02-09-2005 while she did not meet the prescribed qualification of the post, that requires an MBBS degree-holder or equitant qualification recognised by PM&DC or BPharm, MSc 2nd class in pharmaceutical chemistry/ pharmaceutics/ pharmacology, Botany/ Postgraduate degree in Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Chemistry/ Pharmaceutics/ Pharmacognosy/ or Pharmacology.
However, Dr Farnaz Malik is having M.Sc and post graduate degree in Organic Chemistry.
Her promotion in Grade-20, according to the documents, is also illegal as her promotion summery for BPS-20 was approved by the then minister of health by the Ministry of Health letter No. F.10-56/2005-E-II dated 02-09-2005. While as per Ministry of Health Notification No.F.4-3/2003-Est-II dated 31st October 2003, only Prime Minister was the competent authority to approve promotions for the post of BPS-20 and above while a minister or secretary is authorized only to promote the officers till grade 19.
Farnaz Malik is working as Federal Government Analyst for many years at DC&TMD, an appellate laboratory, without qualifying for the job requirements. The prescribed qualification for the post is degree in pharmacy or pharmaceutical chemistry or medicine as per “The Drugs (Federal Inspectors, Federal Drugs Laboratory and Federal Government Analyst) Rules 1976”.
She is the junior most but also working as Joint Executive Director (Administration and General) and Joint Executive Director (Tech & Coord) vide office order No. F.10-2(JED)/2011-Admn dated 07th February 2011. While as per the decision of Board of Governors meeting, the senior most Chief may function as JED (Technical & Coordination). Dr Farnaz Malik was promoted against the ‘resultant vacancy’ of Chief DC&TMD BS-20 on 1-09-2005 due to the deputation of its incumbent Dr Rehan A. Hafeez as National Programme Manager of the EPI until further orders. Currently she is junior than the other two permanent chiefs, i.e., chief of BPD and chief of Nutrition Division.
The document further revealed that she started her journey of promotions in NIH in 1990 by getting appointed as Senior Scientist Officer (Chemical Research) in BPS-18 through office order No 869 on May 17, 1990, but amazingly the post was not notified yet as per minutes of the Board of Governors Meeting held on August 2, 2005. It has also been learnt that she has been granted PhD allowances vide office order No.1536 dated September 5, 1990, while she has also been granted two advance increments on higher qualification vide office order No.302 on March 6, 1996. However there is no rule of granting double benefits on higher qualification.
As per office memorandum F.1(97)/R-3/85 dated 26th December 1985, “Those employees who have already benefited from the concession of advance increments will have the option either to retain the above benefit or to receive qualification allowances and have their pay re-fixed by excluding the advance increments allowed earlier”. However neither Dr Farnaz Malik, nor Dr Barjees Mazhar Kazi attended the calls when they were tried to contact to get their versions.

Musharraf house to be declared sub jail today

Thursday, 18 April 2013 

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Interior has decided to declare the residence of former president Pervez Musharraf, a retired chief of army staff, as a sub jail, according to sources on Thursday.
The likely decision was made after the Islamabad High Court cancelled the plea of Musharraf for extension of his bail and ordered to arrest him. However, the former president managed to escape from the court before his arrest. According to police sources, arresting Musharraf and shifting him to jail was not possible for the police due to high security risks.
However, the ministry has decided to detain him at his residence located in Chakk Shahzad after they declare his farmhouse as a sub jail. It has also been learnt that police, as well as rangers, are already deployed at the farmhouse and the roads to the farmhouse were blocked partially. However, sources from the Interior Ministry said that the proper notification of the declaration of the farm house of the former president as a sub jail might be issued on Friday (today).
The source further said that Musharraf was aiming to take a pre-arrest bail from Supreme Court on Friday but as per the current situation, now he will be applying for a post arrest bail as he already will be under arrest in his farmhouse.

Messiahs turn out to be abductors of minor girl

• Tuesday, 16 April 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Police here on Tuesday arrested two men for allegedly abducting a girl from the Bhara Kahu area. The men are relatives of the girl, who is still missing.
Mangta Khan, a resident of New Mangial Town and the father of the abducted girl, in his FIR registered in the Bhara Kahu police station, complained that Sakina Bibi, aged 14, had been abducted by his relatives, namely Bashir Shah and Mushtaq.
Investigating officer SI Rafiullah told The Spokesman that the girl went missing on January 27 this year. “First her father registered an FIR about her missing, stating that his daughter had gome to her uncle’s place in Mandara, Rawalpindi, after she became angry with her parents due to a minor issue. Later, however, she went missing,” Rafiullah said.
When contacted, another relative of the Sakina Bibi while requesting anonymity revealed that accused Mushtaq and Bashir Shah demanded a handsome amount from Mangta Khan to recover his daughter as they claimed that they knew about her whereabouts.
“On the one hand, the accused were assisting Mangta Khan to find his daughter and, on the other hand, they started blackmailing him, saying that recovering Sakina Bibi will cost some money and in case he did not pay them the amount, the story about her will be leaked to public,” said the relative.
While informing about the status of investigation, SI Rafiullah said that the two accused are in police’s custody on a three-day remand, while the girl is still missing. However the police on Wednesday will visit Mandra to collect information about Sakina Bibi from her uncle’s house.

Elderly man loses life in brawl over bulb light

• Monday, 15 April 2013

HOMER BALOCH

ISLAMABAD: The death of an elderly man in a clash over a minor issue on Sunday has pitched the police and his family to stick to their claims: police saying it was an accident, while the family of the decedent claiming it to be a murder.
Shahnawaz, a relative of the decedent, told The Spokesman that on Sunday his uncle, namely Rahim Dad, aged 60, who worked as a painter, was killed by Hanif over a minor issue in Lehtarar Road area. He said the incident occurred over lighting a bulb.
“Rahim Dad switched a bulb in his room and its light lighted the street outside through its rays streaming through the room window. Hanif along with his son Sunney and friend arrived at Dad’s house and asked him and his son Haider Ali to switch off the bulb as it disturbed them while they sat in the street. But they refused to obey Hanif’s order, which annoyed him and his friends. They entered the room and pushed Rahim Dad. He fell on the floor and died instantly,” said Shahnawaz.
He said the Shahzad Town police when informed arrested the accused and registered an FIR against them under the charges of 322/34 which is for aiming to murder which according to the deceased family is not correct. “The police should have registered the case of murder against the accused as it was a murder, not an accident”, said Shahnawaz. He further said the family took the dead body of deceased to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences for the post mortem where the doctors mentioned his cause of death as heart attack in the post mortem report.
On the other hand investigation officer Sub Inspector Muhammad Akbar told The Spokesman that the two accused were presented to magistrate on Monday and shifted to jail on judicial remand. 

Another man booked for attempt to rape child

• Sunday, 14 April 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: On Saturday, Muhammad Riaz, working as a guard in a local school, registered an FIR in the Margalla police station complaining that accused Shahbaz Masih attempted to rape his son, seven-year-old Mudassar. The accused was also arrested from the spot by some citizens and handed over to the police.
When contacted, the investigating officer, Sub-Inspector Shafqat Mahmood, while providing the details, said, “Mudassar Riaz, son of the applicant, was buying some goods at a shop near his home in Sector G-8/2, when the accused, Shahbaz Masih, allegedly lured him to a nearby jungle and tried to rape him.”
He said two men named Parvez and Gulfaraz saw the accused taking the child into jungle and then approached there after feeling something fishy. “The two men after reaching the jungle caught the accused red handed while trying to rape the child”, Shafqat added. He said the police arrested the accused and presented him to the magistrate on Sunday who sent him to jail.
It was the second incident of rape or attempt to rape during this week. On Monday, April 8, another child, Abbas Khan, aged 10, was raped by his neighbor Talha Noor, aged 23, in Alipur area. He was also caught by some citizens and handed over to police.
While a minor, Imran Anwar, aged four years and a half, was first raped and then killed by his neighbor, Fazal Rehman, on March 26. The police on November 2 arrested the accused, Fazal Rehman, who during the interrogation confessed his crime.

Polyclinic lacks sufficient medicine

• Saturday, 13 April 2013

 Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Government Services Hospital, also known as the Polyclinic, is considered to be facilitating the poor patients of the capital and its surrounding areas but the current situation there is that the hospital lacks sufficient medicine for its patients.
On the other hand, the staff, instead of facilitating the patients, is not cooperating with the patients and their attendants, The Spokesman has learnt. Abdullah, a patient admitted in the Polyclinic for a minor surgery, told The Spokesman that the doctor advised him some medicines after his surgery, which were supposed to be available in the dispensary but the dispenser provided only half of them.
“The dispenser told my brother that the remaining four medicines were not available and could be purchased from any private medicine shop outside the hospital,” he said. Haji Shafiq, whose daughter is admitted in the hospital for a maternity case, said that it has become a trend in the hospital that the staff sends back the patients without giving them proper medicine.
“It has been three to four times since last week when the staff gave me only few of the medicines mentioned in the prescription as they said the dispensary is suffering from shorts of medicines and I had to buy the remaining medicines from a private medicine shop which turned expensive for me,” he said.
A doctor on duty while requesting anonymity said that the situation occur due to lack of planning of the hospital management as neither the concerned staff inform the authorities about the shortage of the medicine nor the administration pay concern over the issue. He said the situation also irks the doctors as well when the patients turn to them with complaints.
“The patients turn back to us by complaining that the medicines we advised them in the prescription are not available in the hospital so we should advise them any other alternate medicine, but most of the time the alternative medicine is also not available which off course disturb the patients as well as the us,” the doctor said.
Karimuddin told The Spokesman that he visited the hospital dispensary to get some medicine for his younger brother with a prescription of the concerned doctors, but the dispensary staff refused to give him medicine by telling that he must have a signature of the same doctor on the prescription who advised him the medicine.
“The doctor advised the medicine on the official latter pad of the hospital where name of the doctor was also mentioned but still the staff told me that I must have a signature of the doctor on the prescription otherwise they will not provide me the medicine,” he said. When he turned back to the doctor to get his signature, he was out of his office, so he bought the medicine from a private store in Blue Area, he said.
Ali Ahmad, a lecturer in a private college, said that he also suffered the same situation and followed a notice displayed in front of the dispensary mentioning the doctors to be contacted in either emergency or for complaints, but all in vain as he could not meet the doctors. “It was mentioned in the notice that the patients having complaints should contact the in-charge of the dispensary in room-31, but when I approached there, his room was locked,” he said.
Disagreeing with the situation, Dr Shairf Astori, spokesperson of the hospital, said that shortage of the medicine was not only for Islamabad but in all over the country, however Polyclinic was the only hospital which provides 80% medicines to its patients as compare to other government hospitals of the capital. Although the hospital have 1200 to 1000 medicines in its formulary and all are available currently. “Only those medicines are not available which the doctors advise out of the formulary,” he said.

PMDC plan targets ending quackry, bad advertisements

• Friday, 12 April 2013 

HOMER BALOCH

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council has decided a plan to prevent non-doctors from practicing and to avoid more cases of fake medical registrations in future. The NADRA, PEMRA and APNS will assist PMDC in this regard.
Taking another bold decision, the PMDC has also decided to ask all medical colleges to allocate 50 percent beds for free for poor patients, a PMDC official told The Spokesman on Friday.
The official further revealed that the council has decided to direct Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority and All Pakistan Newspapers Society “to avoid and stop publishing advertisements by quacks and non-doctors”.
“The quacks and non-doctors are, by using their fake registration or authorities, looting the public openly by publishing advertisements in different newspapers. The council has decided to direct the PEMRA and APNS to stop publishing advertisements by elements,” the official further revealed.
He said that PMDC is also looking forward to planning a complete database of current medical staff and faculty registered with the council, with the collaboration of NADRA. The officer said that after maintaining a database, such incidents like the recent fake medical registration scam will not occur in future.
On the other hand, PMDC Administrator Dr. Raja Amjad Mahmood and its advisor Lt. Gen (retd) Rehan Burney, during a meeting with Federal Minister of National Regulatory Services Shahzada Jamal Nasir, have decided to formulate and assure all medical colleges to allocate 50 percent beds for free for poor patients. The free treatment includes consultation as well.
The minister during the meeting has directed the PMDC officials to also establish a hotline network with all the private and public medical colleges to help-facilitate the patient complaints on war footings.

Doctors learn nothing new as rape victim Shahzadi exhumed

• Wednesday, 10 April 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The doctors could not ascertain the cause of death of Shahzadi Bibi or possibility of her being raped before death while Sawera Hakim was confirmed to have been raped and strangled after the dead bodies of the two Bhara Kahu victims were exhumed on Wednesday.
The medical team from Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, including Dr. Nasreen Butt and Dr. Naseer, monitored the exhumation process at a graveyard and collected samples of the dead bodies.
Dr. Nasreen Butt, a member of the medical team and Medico Legal Officer at PIMS who had also conducted post mortem of Shahazdi Bibi, while speaking to The Spokesman said, “The cause of death and possibility of rape could not be confirmed as Shahzadi’s corpse was not in a state to be verified the same.”
“The dead body was completely burned by her murderer(s). It was also charcoaled internally due to burns and the same made it difficult for us [doctors] to examine the body,” the lady doctor said. “However the medical team has collected samples from different parts of her body, which will be sent to a forensic lab in Lahore for further tests.”
She added, “I have already stated at the time of her post mortem that her charcoaled body is difficult to examine and to ascertain whether she was raped or not. Her DNA samples taken during the postmortem are also not enough to confirm that whether she was burned alive or after her death. After a lapse of almost two months of her death, it has become complicated for the doctors to examine her as her dead body has been more decayed,” Dr. Nasreen added.
On the other hand, the dead body of Sawera Hakim, the deceased daughter of a police superintendent and the second victim of Bhara Kahu case, was also exhumed on Tuesday by the same medical team under the supervision of Bhara Kahu police. Dr. Naseer who monitored the exhumation told The Spokesman that the dead body had decayed after five months of her burial; however the medical team collected samples from the dead body. “The team collected some evidence from the dead body of Sawera Hakim to confirm her death cause. The dead body was having some marks on her neck which indicates that she may have died due to strangulation. The initial report and the body samples also reveals that the deceased was also raped,” Dr. Naseer said. He said the initial report of both exhumations will be submitted to the police on Thursday.
The deputy commissioner of Islamabad Amir Ali Ahmed on Saturday 23rd March allowed the capital police to exhume the dead body of Shahzadi Bibi aged 11 years who was murdered on 15th February 2013, and Sawera Hakim aged 18, murdered on 4th November 2012. The capital police have already arrested two accused namely Ibrar Qazi and Zahra Mehek for raping and murdering Shahzadi and Sawera. The couple during the investigation not only confessed to the murders, but also revealed that three more girls were raped by Ibrar Qazi with the assistance of Zahra Mehek. 

Abduction turns out to be love marriage

• Wednesday, 10 April 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: A girl allegedly abducted from Mirabheri area on Wednesday submitted a certificate that she has married her ‘abductor’. However her family accused the police of assisting the couple in their marriage by delaying their arrest.

On Tuesday, the Shalimar police had lodged an FIR against five men on the complaint of Muhammad Mushtaq, who alleged that they have abducted his niece. Mushtaq in his complaint had stated that On April 9 “I woke up at 3 am and found my niece, Sumaiyya Bibi, missing from our house. In the morning, we also found Rs 50,000 cash and some jewellery missing”. 

He further stated in the FIR that accused Mamrez Ali along with his father Ali Shan and brothers Khan Muhammad, Amjad and Javed has abducted Sumaiyya. The police after lodging the FIR received a marriage certificate of Mumrez and Sumaiyya on the same day. The date of marriage was Tuesday. 

ASI and investigating officer Ashfaq Ahmed Warraich told The Spokesman, “Sumaiyya was not abducted. She actually ran away with Mumrez. The couple after fleeing their homes married in a court and sent us their marriage certificate. 

“The FIR against them will be cancelled when Sumaiyya presents herself in a court,” the cops said. He further said that according to the investigation, Sumaiyya’s mother also assisted her in her escape from home, however Sumaiyya in her written statement attached with her marriage certificate stated that she did not take any money or jewelry with her.

On the other hand, Muhammad Mushtaq, uncle of Sumaiyya Bibi and applicant of the FIR, when contacted, told The Spokesman that the police assisted the couple by delaying their arrest and providing then enough time to get married, instead of supporting the applicant family. “It seems we should have followed any step to catch the couple instead of reporting ito police as the police also supported the couple.” 

Body remains unclaimed at PIMS

• Wednesday, 10 April 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: A man, aged 35 years, was on Wednesday found unconscious on a footpath in Chakk Shahzad. Later he died while being shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, police and rescue sources said.  

The police spokesperson confirmed that an unidentified man was found unconscious and a pedestrian had informed them about the man. At PIMS he died after struggling for life for almost one hour.  The doctor on duty told The Spokesman that there were no wounds on his body. 

No one has as yet claimed the body. On the other hand, the Shahzad Town police have pleaded ignorance about the issue.

When ‘doctors’ become like tainted politicians

• Tuesday, 09 April 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The humiliation of being labelled a fraud is not merely being experienced by the politicians. Even medical practitioners, associated with years of endless study, are facing the stigma of being exposed as charlatans after hundreds of fake doctors are facing the wrath of the authorities.
The dilemma of the former Pakistan Medical and Dental Council registrar, who allegedly issued hundreds of fake medical registrations, may have increased as his biggest supporter and the president of PMDC has finally resigned from his post. On the other hand, fake doctors may suffer on the fake registration issue as the caretaker minister for National Regulatory Services has directed the PMDC on Tuesday to lodge FIRs against all 48 doctors whose registrations were found fake during the inquiry.
PMDC president Prof Dr Syed Sibtul Hasnain finally resigned from his post on Saturday. In his resignation letter No 452-13/president/PM&DC, a copy of which is available with The Spokesman, Dr Hasnain stated that he resigned from his post of the president/member of the executive committee due to his ‘deteriorating health condition.’ A PMDC official, requesting anonymity, revealed that the reason behind the resignation of the former president was not actually his health condition, but the pressure over him regarding his support to Dr Ahmad Nadeem Akbar.
Dr Akbar was the former registrar of the council who was allegedly involved in the fake registrations of various medical students. Dr Hasnain was also stopped from working as the president and was directed to act only as a member of the Executive Committee of the council by a presidential ordinance number II of 2013 on the fake registration scandal. Dr Hasnain, though, refused to resign from his post at that time, the official added.
“Dr Ahmad Nadim Akhtar was a blue-eyed boy of Dr Syed Sibtul Hasnain and issued a large number of fake registrations to medical students to gain their support for the elections of PMDC executive committee, under the supervision of Dr Hasnain. Dr Akbar had also refused to resign from his post when he was suspended by stating that only the president of the council can suspend him from his post. But the president instead of removing him from his post by using his authority, kept a silence over the issue”, said the official.
He further said that now the situation will get worse for the former registrar as his main supporter in the conflict has himself resigned from his post. On the other hand, a team of PMDC headed by Dr Raja Amjad Mahmood, the administrator, briefed Sahibzada Jamal Nazir, the caretaker minister for National Regulatory Services, and Health Secretary Imtiaz Inayat Illahi about the affairs of the council on Tuesday. The minister expressed his concern over the matter and directed PMDC to register FIRs and initial legal proceedings against the 48 non-doctors whose medical registration was found bogus by the council.
Over the issue of 19 substandard medical institutes, the minister directed the inquiry commission to render its report on immediate basis. He also said that the ministry and the inquiry commission may also close down 19 substandard institutes by using their powers. Sahibzada Jamal Nazir also asked the PMDC officials to provide assistance to the students already enrolled in the substandard institutes so as their academic year is not wasted in the cover of law.
Dr Akbar had allegedly issued hundreds of fake registrations to the medical students as well as the colleges by misusing his authority, all in a single day. After their registration, these supporters can vote for him in their elections to elect as a member of its committee. The PMDC authorities by taking notice of the irregularities lodged two FIRs against their former registrar. Dr Akbar was granted bail by the court on the three FIRs registered against him in Islamabad but on April 3, 2013, special accountability court rejected his bails by stating that he was found involved in the irregularities.

Crime Story:

Body found in Chakk Shahzad

• Tuesday, 09 April 2013 

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: A body of a man, who was murdered brutally, was found in the area of Chakk Shahzad on Tuesday. The Shahzad Town police was informed about presence of a body in the farm No 17-C in Chakk Shahzad. The police after recovering the body recognised it as Afzal Khan aged 35 and resident of Mardan. The brothers of the deceased called and informed by the police about the body of their brother, said Sub Inspector Mansha Hussain Shah, the duty officer. “The diseased was working as a farmer and was murdered last night when he was resting in a shed while some unidentified men killed him brutally by cutting his jugular vein with a sharp blade. The diseased was also having a wound mark on his face,” Mansha said.

Crime Story:

Boy aged 10 sodomised, rapist sent to jail

• Monday, 08 April 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: A 10-year-old boy has been sodomised in Alipur, while the accused have been arrested and shifted to a jail on the orders of a magistrate.

The Shahzad Town Police arrested the accused and shifted him to the jail on the orders of a magistrate after the accused, 23-year-old Talha Noor, allegedly raped the child. Investigating Officer ASI Muhammad Nawaz told The Spokesman that the victim and the accused were neighbours.

On Sunday, the accused taken the victim to nearby wheat farm and allegedly sodomised him. “The people around the farm heard Abbas screaming and reached the location where they caught the accused red handed,” ASI Nawaz said. He further said that the neighbours of the victim family immediately informed the police about the incident and the police then arrested the accused from his house.

“Police registered the FIR (No 188) against the accused and presented him in front of the magistrate where he was ordered to be shifted to jail,” said ASI Nawaz. However, he said the victim family has refused a medical checkup of the victim. When contacted, Mashoor Khan, father of the victim, refused to state anything about the issue.

Protesters block Park Road after robbery

• Sunday, 07 April 2013 

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Furious protesters blocked the Park Road for more than two hours by protesting against the Bani Gala police due to a robbery which occurred in Jagiyot village in which the citizen were deprived almost 0.2 million rupees and one citizen injured, on Saturday.
A large number of residents of Jigiyot village demonstrated against the robbery incident in which the robbers deprived the citizen from their cash during day light while the police remained silent while the robbers managed to escape successfully. The demonstrators raised slogans against the police in front of the Bani Gala police station at 9:30 and continued their demonstration for more than two hours demanding the police to arrest the robbers immediately and also ensure the safety and security of the citizens.
An eye witness of the incident Muhammad Maskeen, a resident of Jagiyot and working as a driver in district court, told The Spokesman, “On Saturday at 4pm, eight men carrying arms stopped the vehicles at Jigiyot road and started robbing them. The men confidently robbed almost eight vehicles on depriving them from almost 0.2 million rupees in which, one million was snatched from a Shehzor driver who was carrying payment of the goods he transferred to somewhere. There were also two police men patrolling but they did not interfere the robbers and kept a complete silence.”
He said that the robbers also injured his son during the robbery. “My son Zeeshan who also works as a driver was among the victims. He tried to escape from there but two robbers attacked him by hitting him with their weapons. Zeeshan in his attempt to escape reversed his car and hit a tree on road side which injured him badly,” Maskeen added.
The incident raised a wave of anger among the villagers and in result, a large number of men blocked the Park Road in Chak Shahzad area and demonstrated in front of Bani Gala Police Station and raised slogans against them. The police registered the FIR (No 30) of the incident but the demonstrators were not satisfied with the FIR. A villager during the demonstration said, “At the time of robbery, one of us called the police to inform them about the incident but no one in the police station responded the call. The police arrived after two hours of the incident and started asking us where the robbers are. The police could arrest the robbers by arriving at the crime scene immediately but now after four hours of the incident, the registration of the FIR will not be enough to calm us.”
Bani Gala Police SHO Fayyaz Ranjha when contacted told The Spokesman that the FIR of the incident has been registered but the police have neither arrested any of the robbers, nor any operation and activity against them has been started yet.

Bharakahu murder case:

Zahra Mehek’s lawyer pins his hopes on reversal of age decree

• Saturday, 06 April 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: The defense council for Zahra Mehek, one of the alleged murderers of two girls, including a minor, has decided in principal to drag the case to the high court level, a fresh appeal, the copy of which was seen by The Spokesman, has stated. The appeal challenging the Sessions Court’s decision about Mehek being an adult will be moved in Islamabad High Court on Monday.
Meanwhile, the police are still waiting court orders to exhume the bodies Shahzadi Bibi and Sawera Hakim, the victims of Zahra Mehek and Ibrar Qazi.
On the other hand, during the hearing on Saturday of the twin murders case in the Sessions Court, the prosecutor’s counsel Raja Rizwan Abbasi presented two more witnesses against the two accused. The defense councils, advocates Hashmat Habeeb and Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, did not appear. However, they submitted an application through their representative, stating that the case would move further if the age of Zahra Mehek was verified through her birth certificate and educational documents.
“The council will challenge the court’s orders declaring Mehek an adult through a medical examination,” the application stated. The court adjourned the case until Monday, April 8.
Advocate Hashmat Habeeb later told The Spokesman, “The defense council has six evidences, including her NADRA record, her birth certificate and educational documents, to prove that the accused is a juvenile. These documents have also been attached with the fresh application. The court’s decision in which Mehek was declared an adult is strange. We will challenge the court’s decision in Islamabad High Court on Monday.”
The prosecution’s lawyer Raja Rizwan Abbasi said that the court has charged Zahra Mehek and Ibrar Qazi under sections 376 (for raping the victims) and 496-B (for having sexual relations before marriage) on his request.
Earlier, the defense council had requested the court to treat the accused Zahra Mehek as a juvenile, but the application was challenged by the prosecutor which requested to declare the accused an adult and charge under two more charges for raping the diseased and having sexual relations before marriage. The court then by accepting the request of persecutor had ordered to examine the age of Zahra Mehek medically. The medical report conducted by a four member’s medical board of poly clinic hospital reported after her medical examination reported that the accused is not less than 20 years old.

Man shot dead, another killed over kids’ fight

• Friday, 05 April 2013

HOMER BALOCH

ISLAMABAD: On Thursday, the capital police have registered two different FIRs on murders occurred during last two days. In the first FIR, one Abdul Sattar has complained that on Wednesday some unidentified men killed his nephew, namely Shamsur Rehman by opening fire on him.
Investigating Officer Sub-Inspector Javed Iqbal told The Spokesman that Rehman was a native of Chitral and was working at a shop. He was returning home from his shop when near New Golra area some unidentified men opened fire at him and managed to escape.
According to the cop, the diseased has been buried in his native town while investigation has been started.
In other incident, a labourer was killed by his colleagues after a dispute on Thursday. Munsib Ali complained to the Tarnol Police that his father, namely Ghulam Rasool, was killed while his wife, Neelam Bibi, and relatives including Tariq and Manzoor were injured by the accused including Muhammad Riasat, Muhammad Sohail, Gul Siraj, Shabbir Akhtar, and Muhammad Nadim.
SHO Fazal Rehman of Tarnol Police Station told The Spokesman when contacted that the dispute started on a very small issue. “First the women of the families on the both side quarreled on their children’s fight, which later escalated when the men got involved. The issue was resolved at night when the men arranged a meeting, but the next day the men again got into a clash, resulting in death of Ghulam Rasool, a labourer at a brick kiln, while three other including a woman got injured.
“The accused hit the diseased Ghulam Rasool with an axe and killed him,” SHO Fazal said. He further said that police has raided many areas to arrest the accused, but no arrest has been made yet.

Woman, paramour arrested, sent on remand

• Friday, 05 April 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: A woman who was reported to have been kidnapped some time ago was found involved in her ‘kidnapping’ as she and her lover were on Thursday recovered and arrested by police. Naveed Ahmad, working as a tailor in Sangham Market of I-8 Sector, had complained to the Industrial police on March 1 that his wife, namely Samina Shaheen, had been kidnapped allegedly by Iftikhar Hussain. Rs 60,000 in cash and some jewellery were also missing from the house, he had told the police. After searching for the applicant’s wife and the accused for a month, the Industrial Area police finally found them by following its traditional method of investigation. 

Sub-Inspector Falak Sher, the investigating officer, told The Spokesman, “The police set the informers on the case as well as tracing down the mobile phone number of the accused to trace them, in which the police finally succeeded as the accused, Iftikhar Hussain, along with Samina Shaheen were arrested from the area of Mirabadi in Islamabad.”  He further said that Iftikhar Hussain’s son was working in the tailor shop with Naveed Ahmed which started its interaction with Naveed and his wife. Iftikhar had been enjoying good relationship with Naveed and used to visit his home frequently which provided him an opportunity to develop affair with Naveed’s wife. “Samina and Iftikhar during the interrogation have confessed their crime. 

On March 1, Samina took the cash and jewellery from her home and ran away with Iftikhar and reached Jhang, his native city. After staying there for a week, the couple moved to Islamabad and stayed at Mirabadi, a village near Golra Sharif.”  He further said that the police have taken two days remand of the accused and they will be presented to court on Sunday.

Bharakahu murder case:

Lawyer says Mehek’s age verification not authentic

• Thursday, 04 April 2013

Homer Baloch

ISLAMABAD: Advocate Hashmat Habeeb, the lawyer of Zahra Mehek, on Thursday submitted an application in session court stating that the medical report about age verification of accused Zahra Mehek is not authentic as her birth certificate and educational documents were not submitted to the medical board during the verification process.
During the hearing of the murder case of Shahzadi Bibi and Sawera Hakim in the Sessions Court, the accused Zahra Mehek and Ibrar Qazi were presented in front of session judge Kausar Zaidi on Thursday.
Advocate Hashmat Habeeb, the lawyer of Zahra Mehek for Shahzadi Bibi’s murder case, submitted an application into the court by stating that how the report maintained by the medical board could be authentic if the educational documents and birth certificates of the accused were not submitted to them.
The court adjourned its process till Friday as the public prosecutor did not appear in court. Later, Advocate Zulfiqar Ali Bhutta, member of law council of Zahra Mehek, told The Spokesman that the medical examination of the accused was done without following the legal procedure.
“The police during the hearing stated that the medical examination was done without submitting her educational documents and birth certificates as the documents were not available, while actually the documents were attached with the application submitted to the court during the previous hearing by our law council, which clearly shows the contrast in police’s statement,”
he said.
Responding to the lawyer’s statement, ASI Mansoor, the investigation officer of the case, said the police followed what the court had ordered and the documents were not required by the doctors since it was a medical examination.