Prime suspect in Perween Rahman murder acquitted

KARACHI: Raheem Swati, the primary suspect in the murder case of well known social worker Perween Rahman, was freed from criminal charge by a verdict of not guilty by an antiterrorism court in three connecting cases that included the possession of illegal weapons and explosive materials and shoot-out with a police party, on Wednesday.

Perween Rahman the director of the Orangi Pilot Project, was shot dead on Manghopir Road in March 2013.

The ATC acquitted the suspect from charges in three cases as the prosecution failed to bring forth any incriminating evidence on record against him.

Meanwhile, the ATC put off the hearing of the murder case against Swati after his counsel produced a memory card of the mobile that contained a video of accused Swati.

The counsel stated that the video proved that his client was not even there at the scene of the crime.

The police informed, Raheem Swati was arrested on May 7 last year after a shoot-out in the Sultanabad area of Manghopir. According to the police they had found illegal weapons and explosives in his possession.

The police also said that Raheem was the prime suspect in Perween Rahman murder case. Later, his remand was obtained in attempted murder, illegitimate weapons and explosive material cases.

The case is ongoing as the trial awaits before an ATC against detained suspects Ahmed Khan, alias Ahmed Ali, alias Pappu Kashmiri and Mohammad Imran Swati while Raheem. Swati, Ayaz Swati, Amjad Afridi and Shaldar Khan were shown absconders in the last charge-sheet registered in October, 2015.

The charge sheet said that whilst interrogating detained suspect Imran revealed that Raheem of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, with his brother-in-law Shaldar and others, had been responsible for the killing.

It affirmed that Imran also said that he was with the Awami National Party in 2010 and was part of the meeting in which the murder was planned.

Source: The Nation