FAISALABAD: A girl has backtracked a day after she reported to the police that she was raped by three sons of a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MNA.
The girl told the police that she did not want to pursue the case.
Earlier on Friday night, she submitted an application to the police alleging that she, along with her two friends, went to Jhal Khanuana market for shopping when armed sons of the MNA bundled her into a vehicle at gunpoint and sped away.
She claimed that the car riders had taken her to a house in Raza Town, where six people under the influence gang-raped her and filmed her humiliation on the mobile phone cameras.
Following her complaint, the police registered a case under Section 376-II of the Pakistan Penal Code.Sources told Dawn the girl had been taken to DHQ Hospital for medical examination on Friday night but she refused to appear before the doctor.
On Saturday, they said, the girl submitted an application to the Madina Town police claiming that she had not been raped by anyone rather she had an exchange of word with the suspects over some issue.
A police officer said the FIR would be quashed on the basis of the application of the girl. He claimed that the police did not arrest any suspect as they learnt that both sides would reach a reconciliation.
City Police Officer Sohail Habib Tajik confirmed that the girl had withdrawn her previous version in an application.
MNA’s three sons booked for ‘gang rape’
FAISALABAD: A gang-rape case has been registered against three sons of a PML-N MNA and five others with the Madina Town police on Friday.
A girl of Millet Town who submitted an application with the police on Friday alleged that three sons of a PML-N MNA and their five accomplices had subjected her to gang rape on Thursday night.
The nominated suspects include PML-N district chapter office-bearer, his brothers and five others who are unidentified.
City Police Officer Sohail Habib Tajik told Dawn investigation into the case had been initiated and justice would be ensured. He said no arrest had been made so far.
PML-N MPA gets ‘clean-chit’ in police station raid
FAISALABAD: The district police have given 'clean-chit' to the Pakistan Muslim League-N MPA Rana Shoaib Idrees and told the Anti Terrorism Court judge that name of the lawmaker was ‘mistakenly’ mentioned in the case pertaining to attack on Khurrianwala police station.
Earlier, on Sept 2, police had declared the MPA guilty of attacking the police station and thrashing some policemen. An application submitted by the MPA for changing investigation officer for conducting a ‘biased probe’ had been rejected by police.
On Wednesday, the court sent the MPA to jail on judicial remand.
Sources told Dawn that prior to the MPA’s arrest the Punjab police Inspector General Mushtaq Sukhera had ordered Faisalabad police to ensure rule of law and put the culprits behind the bars. Following the orders, they said, the local police professionally investigated the matter.
However, they said later the stance was changed and the authorities decided to provide relief to the ruling party lawmaker because of political pressure.
The sources said following the ‘change of heart’ the local police first ‘raided’ the house of a Sub-Inspector, Riasat, in Farooq Abad, who was allegedly tortured by the MPA and his henchmen, and was left injured with three broken teeth. However, the SI was not home.
Madina Town SP Nasir Sial claimed it was not a ‘raid’. He said the police just went to the SI’s house to ask him to join the investigation as his cell phone was switched off.
Failing to find SI Riasat, the police also tried to contact a senior officer involved in the case investigation and Khurrianwala DSP Mian Akmal but failed, the sources said.
They said the Regional Investigation Branch (RIB) had summoned the policemen attached with the case on Tuesday last so that they could be ‘convinced’ to change their statements so that the MPA could be given a clean-chit.
The sources said the senior police officer was asked to change his version following the written statement of the MPA that he (Mr Shoaib) had reached the police station following the officer’s phone calls. But the officer had termed the MPA’s statements baseless.
The sources said the senior officer categorically refused to withdraw his statement, informing his bosses that the MPA was directly involved in the attack and it would not be fair to let him go off the hook because of political pressure.
They said the officer told his high–ups he would prefer to work as an officer on special duty (OSD) instead of going against the merit.
The DSP concerned also refused to favour the the MPA. He said the MPA was in his office when the mob attacked the police station and tortured on-duty policemen, the sources said. They said the refusal of the officers created problems for the police bosses who contacted Khurrianwala SHO Khalid Pervez, complainant in the case registered against the MPA and asked him to change his statement.
Mr Pervez was then admitted to the Faisalabad Institute of Cardiology with some cardiac issue when police got his revised statement, the sources said.
The SHO confirmed to Dawn that he had given statement that the ‘political personality’ mentioned in the FIR of the case was not Mr Shoaib but the MPA’s uncle Rana Zikarya, who was already a nominated suspect.
The police registered a case on July 19 without mentioning the MPA’s name. In the FIR it was mentioned that a mob led by a ‘political personality’ attacked the police station and thrashed the policemen.
The MPA was named in the case next day when the then City Police Officer Dr Haider Ashraf was informed by his three SPs and the SHO concerned that Mr Shoaib was involved in the attack.
Punjab police spokesperson Nabeela Ghazanfar told Dawn that IG Sukhera had not asked anyone to give a clean-chit to the MPA. She said the MPA had been arrested when court had cancelled his bail and the IGP had asked the police officers for “a fair investigation”.
To a query that what action would be taken against the policemen who changed their statement, she claimed “justice would be ensured”.
PML-N MPA joins probe after dilly-dallying
FAISALABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPA Rana Shoaib Idrees has finally joined the investigation and submitted his statement to the investigation officer following strict instructions of Anti-Terrorism Court judge Ishtiaq Ahmad.
The MPA has joined the investigation 40 days after allegedly attacking a police station and thrashing policemen with the help of his accomplices.
On Friday, Rana Shoaib appeared in the Khurrianwala police station along with MPA Usman Kharal, former secretary bar Saifur Rehman Bhatti, who is also his close relative, lawyers and dozens of his supporters.
Sources told Dawn that the MPA had appeared in court on Thursday last to seek extension in his bail. During the proceedings the police informed the judge that the MPA had repeatedly been summoned for investigation but he did not bother to comply with the direction.
The judge directed the accused to submit his statement to the police on Friday. The court also directed senior officers to remain present in the police station when the MPA would join investigation.
They said prior to the direction of the ATC court, the MPA had not been submitting his statement and had even met SSP (Investigation) Bilal Umar and Jaranwala SP Arif Shahbaz Wazir fearing that the police would proceed against him. The MPA, therefore, kept expressing distrust on the police.On July 19 last, the MPA and more than 50 of his accomplices had attacked the Khurrianwala police station, thrashed policemen including sub-inspector Riasat Ali and got released three people arrested by the police on allegation of sheltering proclaimed offenders.
A case was registered against the MPA and others under sections 7-ATA, 148, 149, 186, 224, 225, 440 and 553 of PPC.
Former CPO Dr Haider Ashraf (who is now Lahore’s DIG operations) had constituted a three-member committee comprising the SSP (investigation) and the SPs of Jaranwala and CIA to probe the issue. The MPA did not appear once before the committee to give his version.
Earlier, Shoaib and his fellow parliamentarians like Rao Kashif, Usman Kharal and Naeem Gill had requested CPO Sohail Habib Tajik to appoint any senior police officer to probe the issue. Now, the MPA has to submit his one-page statement to an inspector, Ghulam Asghar.
Faisalabad District Bar Association President Tanvirur Rehman Randhawa had recently met the CPO and discussed the issue of Rana Shoaib. Sources said the CPO assured them that issue would be dealt with on merit.
A parliamentarian told Dawn that the party was embroiled in a crisis and was not in a position to support Rana Shoaib. He said some of the parliamentarians had also met Governor Mohammad Sarwar with a request to initiate a judicial inquiry into the issue but the governor did not extend any help and asked the accused to join investigation.
Record of case against MPA ‘goes missing’
FAISALABAD: The documents of a case registered against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPA Rana Shoaib Idrees and others on the allegation of torturing a constable at the Khurrianwala police station have allegedly gone missing.
On the complaint of Khurrianwala SHO Khalid Pervaiz, the police have registered a case under Section 155-c of the Police Order and Section 409 of PPC against an ASI and a head-constable. Both the officials were later taken into custody.
The case file is about torture of police constable Zafar Iqbal.
On Jan 28, 2013, the MPA and his henchmen stormed the police station and dragged Zafar out and tortured him. A case (65/13) was registered under sections 148, 149, 186, 225, 353, 452 and 506 of PPC.
Sub-inspector Touheed Akhtar conducted investigation of the case during the course of which the MPA placated the constable and made him submit an affidavit that he had reconciled with the legislator.
Subsequently, the then SHO, Muhammad Afzal, prepared a case cancellation report on March 20 and sent it to the prosecution branch through Touheed Akhtar on April 30. The branch returned the report with objections to it.
ASI Umar Daraz and former moharrar Ansar allegedly stole the report as it was neither available in court nor in the police station.
Another case of torturing policemen and ransacking the Khurrianwala police station was registered against the MPA on July 19 under sections 7-ATA, 148, 149, 186, 224, 225, 440 and 553 of PPC. The MPA secured pre-arrest bail from the Lahore High Court till Aug 11.
An MPA told Dawn that the police were trying their best to detain Rana Shoaib and a concocted story of misplaced documents had been aired to achieve the objective.He said the FIR mentioned that the file had been stolen on Nov 18, however, cases were instituted after nine months. “It is strange the police officials learnt about it after months,” he said.
The police would now aggressively pursue the case of torture of constable Zafar as Rana Shoaib succeeded in securing pre-arrest bail in the other case. He said a number of parliamentarians of Faisalabad had requested Punjab Governor Muhammad Sarwar to order a judicial probe into the issue.
City Police Officer Sohail Habib Tajik told Dawn that a team of best police officers headed by SSP (investigation) Bilal Umar had been selected to investigate the issue.
Rana Shoaib denies torturing Zafar and alleges that he brought Zafar to the room of Moharrar when he opened fire on people in Khurrianwala. He says both the cases against him are politically motivated as “his rivals in the PML-Q are conspiring against him.”
“The police have a plan to kill me in a staged encounter and they will get away with it after concocting a story of murder,” he expresses fear.
A police official, who spoke to this correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said officials were preparing the record of the MPA to be produced in the Lahore High Court on Aug 11 as they learnt that the case cancellation report (yet to be confirmed by the DSP) had gone missing.
He said it transpired during investigation that the report had been stolen to favour the MPA. He said reconciliation between Zafar and the accused had been rejected by the Khurrianwala DSP on technical grounds.
Wanted MPA ‘involved in extortion’ as well
FAISALABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz parliamentarian MPA Rana Shoaib Idrees, wanted by police for attacking a police station and thrashing policemen, is allegedly involved in collection of extortion from textile mills situated in Khurrianwala area, says an intelligence report.
He is also involved in receiving extortion from wagon stands in Khurrainwala while his outhouse is used to protect criminals. The report says the MPA and his people block roads whenever they want to pressurise the government machinery.
LHC grants protective bail to PML-N MPA in police station attack case
The MPA, however, denies the allegations and says the report has been prepared to frame him.
The report prepared by a secret agency was forwarded to the Punjab government in the backdrop of the case registered against Idrees and his more than 50 ‘henchmen’ for attacking the Khurrianwala police station.
Intelligence report says MPA collected money from textile mills, wagon stands
Report (copy available with Dawn) mentioned the Khurrianwala industrial area had half a dozen large-size textile units and the MPA was receiving up to Rs200,000 per month from each mill through different sources.
Mills’ labour contractors also paid up to Rs40,000 per month to MPA’s men.
The report said the MPA and his men were behind grouping among the labour. Through this channel they extorted money from owners.
The report claimed that Moosa, Waris, Abu Bakar, Anas, Bilal, Abdul Razzaq and Abdul Hayye collected extortion on MPA’s behalf.
Abdul Wahid, a cousin of the MPA, was killed on Oct 24, 2011, over a dispute of extortion collection from a wagon stand. The case (1074/11) was registered against Yaseen, Iftikhar and others.
After his election as MPA, the report said, Rana Shoaib Idrees frequently resorted to firing at the house of accused Yaseen and Iftikhar and forced their families to leave the area. Now their houses were under MPA’s occupation.
The report said Iqbal wanted in a terrorism and murder case carrying a head money of Rs100,000 and his brothers Iftikhar, Riasat and Liaqat worked for the MPA.
On July 17, 2013, MPA’s men Zaheer, Mudassar and others shot at Shahzad over a dispute of extortion in a Khurrianwala wagon stand.
Rana Zikaria, an uncle of the MPA, and Zulfiqar alias Bhutto pressurised Shahazad for reconciliation. No case of the incident was registered and police could register a report two days after the incident.
The report carried names of several people involved in different cases of murder and extortion and claimed they had the blessings of Rana Idrees.
LHC grants protective bail to PML-N MPA in police station attack case
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday granted protective bail to Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Rana Shoaib Idrees, DawnNews reported.
The MPA appeared in court on charges of carrying out an attack on a police station in Faisalabad.
Shoaib’s bail plea was heard by a division bench of the high court comprising Justice Mazhar Siddhu and Justice Shehzada Mazhar.
The PML-N MPA denied the allegations against him and termed these a pack of lies. However, after listening to arguments, the court decided in Shoaib's favour, granting him the bail.
Speaking to media representatives today, Shoaib alleged that the incident's complete footage was not being shown. He moreover denied attacking the police station and claimed he did not beat anyone up but only brought a policeman who had fired shots to the station.
The court subsequently adjourned the case's hearing to August 11.
According to sources, Khurrianwala police had raided the MPA’s outhouse to arrest a PO, Iqbal, carrying Rs100,000 head money on charges of being involved in a case of terrorism, murder and attempt to murder.
On being informed of the raid and the arrest, sources said, the MPA, along with dozens of his supporters had besieged the police station and had started chanting slogan against the police officials.
Sensing the situation, policemen had closed the main gate of the police station. However, some of the MPA’s supporters had managed to open the gate.
The MPA, along with his supporters entered the police station and brutally thrashed three on-duty policemen.
The police then registered a case under section of Anti-Terrorism Act and PPC against Shoaib and more than 50 of his henchmen for involved in thrashing policemen and ransacking a police station.
MPA, supporters free suspect in ‘counter raid’
FAISALABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPA Rana Shoaib Idrees allegedly attacked Khurrianwala police station along with his supporters, thrashed three on-duty policemen and freed a man arrested from his outhouse in a raid.
According to sources, Khurrianwala police late on Friday raided the MPA’s outhouse to arrest a PO, Iqbal, carrying Rs100,000 head money on charges of being involved in a case of terrorism, murder and attempt to murder.
The sources said during the raid the PO could not be found at the outhouse but the police arrested his brother Zulfiqar, also wanted in some criminal cases, besides recovering a Kalashnikov and ammunition from there.
On being informed of the raid and the arrest, sources said, the MPA, along with dozens of his supporters besieged the police station and started chanting slogan against the police officials. They also pelted the police station building with stones, they added.
‘N’ lawmaker annoyed by raid on his outhouse also ‘thrashes’ cops; 30 held on CM’s order
Sensing the situation, policemen closed the main gate of the police station. However, some of the MPA’s supporters managed to open the gate.
The sources said, the MPA, along with his supporters entered the police station and brutally thrashed three on-duty policemen.
The intruders also got released the arrested man.
Lawyers help suspect flee
The sources said the MPA was later pacified by police officers through negotiations after which he and his supporters dispersed.
They said the MPA also wanted back the weapons recovered from his outhouse during the raid, but the demand was rejected by police officers.
Earlier, a case of attacking policemen and threatening them with dire consequences had been registered against the MPA and others on Jan 28, 2013.
On July 19, 2013, the MPA and his 10 henchmen had allegedly gunned down a man, Noor Ahmed, of Chak 187-RB and injured a man, Afzal, when they had a clash with their rival Ijaz alias Juji group over possession of a van stand at Jhumra.
Though CCTV cameras had been installed at the police station, the violence and hooliganism by the MPA and his accomplices could not be recorded due to a power outage, the police said.
City Police Officer Dr Haider Ashraf told Dawn he had ordered a probe into the incident and a committee comprising two senior officers -- SSP (operations) and SP (investigation) -- had been formed for the purpose.
No case has so far been registered against any of the suspects who attacked the police station. Any action against the suspects would be taken in the light of the inquiry report, the sources said.
They said police had raided various places and picked some of the protesters.
Former senior provincial minister Raja Riaz Ahmed, commenting on the incident, criticised the approach of the MPA and said, “what would happen in Pakistan if lawmakers would turn lawbreakers”.
He said instead of attacking the police station along with his supporters, the ruling party MPA should have informed senior police officers about his grievances, if any.
Meanwhile, on the orders of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif more than 30 people were arrested for involvement in hooliganism at Khurarianwala police station and thrashing policemen there.
According to a handout issued on Saturday, the CM taking notice of the incident also sought a report from the Faisalabad regional police officer (RPO) on the alleged hooliganism by his party MPA Rana Shoaib and his supporters.
The chief minister directed the officer that the accused involved in injuring the police officials during hooliganism at the police station be immediately arrested and legal action taken against them.
He also ordered best treatment facilities for the police officials injured in the incident.
Colleagues look for ‘safe passage’ for MPA
FAISALABAD: MPAs of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and some other politicians have stepped up efforts to rescue their colleague involved in assault on policemen and are ‘pressuring’ the police to stop raids at his outhouse.
MPA Rana Shoaib Idrees and more than 50 of his henchmen were involved in thrashing policemen and ransacking a police station. The police on Saturday last registered a case under sections of Anti-Terrorism Act and PPC against them and arrested 30 of them.
Sources told Dawn on Wednesday that Rana Idrees’ colleagues had pledged to produce him before the police.
PML-N MNA Rana Afzal told this correspondent that many parliamentarians having association with the suspect desired that the police stop his humiliation by continuously raiding his outhouse and other places. He said the party leaders had asked the MPA to appear before the police as the issue had been defaming the party.
“I tried to contact Rana Idrees to advise him to join investigation rather than staying in hiding. His mobile phone is switched off,” he said. He said the confusion about the incident would be clear only after the police and the MPA recorded their statements.
Sources said the government after obtaining reports from agencies had directed the police to arrest the MPA. On the instructions of the government, the police nominated the MPA in the supplementary statement rather than FIR.
They said the MPA wanted to meet Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to clear his position. The CM had refused to see him and conveyed him to go through the process of investigation. Rana Afzal confirmed that the chief minister had refused to meet Rana Idrees.
A police officer said some parliamentarians and politicians had promised to produce the MPA on Wednesday but they did not go by their word. He said the police would arrest him as the government had clearly instructed them to do so.
PML-N city president Sheikh Ijaz Ahmad said the police were raiding the houses of parliamentarians and MPA Usman Kharal and Naeem Gill were the ‘victims’ of this strategy. He said Kharal and Gill were not nominated in any case and that why their families were being harassed.
City Police Officer Dr Haider Ashraf told Dawn that parliamentarians had been informed that investigation would be conducted on merit.
He said the inquiry committee comprising SSP Bilal Umar, who is also holding the charge of operations wing and Jaranwala SP Shahbaz Arif, had been constituted prior to registration of the case. Instead of remaining at large, he said, the MPA should join investigation to prove his innocence.
Lawyers help suspect flee
LAHORE: A murder suspect escaped police custody with the help of his lawyers after the Lahore High Court rejected his bail petition on Monday.
Tandlianwala police had registered a case against Zaman Shah on double murder charges and the suspect filed a bail petition with the court.
The investigating officer told the court that all the evidences collected during the investigation went against the suspect.
Relying on the statement of the police, Justice Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa dismissed the bail petition of the suspect.
The police arrested the suspect. However, they could not hold him for long as his counsel along with other lawyers 'rescued' their client.
Lawyers help rape suspect flee court
LAHORE: A rape suspect escaped police custody with the help of his legal counsel after a Lahore High Court single bench dismissed his bail petition on Friday.
The suspect (S) moved the bail petition through Advocate Rab Nawaz and denied the charges of rape. He alleged that the police had dragged him into the case at the behest of the complainant party.
The Chiniot police investigating officer, however, said sufficient evidence had been collected against the suspect and medical report also established that the suspect had raped a mentally-challenged girl. He opposed the bail petition.
Justice Shahid Hameed Dar dismissed the petition. However, police failed to arrest the suspect as the counsel along with lawyers helped him flee the court.
Taking note of the escape, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif sought a report from the DIG Operations. He directed that the criminal be arrested and action should also be taken against the officials who showed negligence.
Escape of accused from court premises with the help of lawyers after bail cancellation is on the rise in Punjab. Bar and bench have so far failed to take concrete steps to stop this practice.
In some cases, lawyers also attacked policemen when they tried to arrest the accused from court premises.
PETITIONER FINED: The Lahore High Court on Friday fined a petitioner on perjury and ordered him to deposit Rs100,000 with bar’s dispensary.
Petitioner Rana Ashique Ali had filed a case against the Board of Revenue (BoR) saying he had not been supplied attested analytical reports of sales tax by the board.
He said the board was legally bound to provide the attested reports.
During the course of hearing, the board’s counsel told court that the petitioner had already filed another petition that was pending with another judge.
He said the petitioner annexed attested reports of sales tax with that petition. The counsel also produced documents to this effect and said the petitioner was misleading the court.
Justice Ijazul Ahsan took notice of the matter and observed that the petitioner committed perjury.
The judge imposed a fine on the petitioner and directed him to deposit it with the dispensary of the Lahore High Court Bar Association.
LAHORE: A group of lawyers helped a suspect of fraud escape the FIA custody after a Lahore High Court single bench dismissed his bail petition on Wednesday.
Rafiq, an employee at a rice mill, allegedly stole cheques of his employer and drew Rs3 million from the account. The mill owner got a case registered against the suspect with the FIA. Rafiq also got a counter-case lodged against his owner and later both filed their bail petitions.
Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik granted bail to the mill owner but denied it to the suspect.
The counsel for the suspect, along with other lawyers, offered resistance to the FIA officials when they tried to arrest him and acted as a shield to make him flee. — Staff Reporter
