Police pledge protection for witnesses in Parween Rahman murder case

KARACHI: Police assured an antiterrorism court on Tuesday that adequate protection will be provided to the key prosecution witnesses reportedly scared of testifying against the detained accused in renowned social activist Parween Rahman’s murder case owing to security threats.

Five men — Raheem Swati, his son Mohammad Imran Swati with three co-accused, Ayaz Shamzai, alias Swati, Amjad Hussain Khan and Ahmed Khan, alias Ahmed Ali alias Pappu Kashmiri — have been charged with her murder.

Ms Rahman, head of the Orangi Pilot Project, who devoted her life to the development of the impoverished neighbourhoods across the country, was gunned down near her office in Orangi Town on March 13, 2013.

On Tuesday, the matter was fixed before the ATC-XIII judge to record testimonies of the prosecution witnesses, including the private persons. But none of them turned up before the court.

Advocate Salahuddin Panhwar, the counsel for the complainant, pointed out that the prosecution witnesses had once again failed to turn up to record their statements as they were reportedly facing security threats and the police had not yet taken any measure to provide security to them despite issuance of directives by the court on the last date.

He argued that the witnesses were afraid that the detained accused persons were influential and could harm them. He pleaded to direct the West Range SSP to ensure compliance of the court’s directives and take steps for security of the prosecution witnesses.

Therefore, the court repeated its earlier directive to the West Range SSP to provide adequate security to the prosecution witnesses as well as the counsel for the complainant as permissible under the law. The next hearing was fixed on Sept 29.

Later, DSP Khalid appeared before the court and informed it that he had been deputed on behalf of the West Range DIG to provide required security to the prosecution witnesses and the complainant’s counsel.

The police official also assured the court that the necessary security would be taken in this regard before the next date of hearing in compliance with court’s directives. The court took his statement on its record and summoned the prosecution witnesses on the next date to record their testimonies.

The investigation officer has listed 29 witnesses in the investigation report, but only nine of them have so far been examined by the court. The court has repeatedly issued notices to the remaining 20 witnesses, including nine private persons, to appear and record their statements.

The court had recently dismissed bail applications of Raheem Swati, the main accused charged with planning and executing the murder, and his son Imran Swati, who has been charged with concealing information about the accused persons.

A case was registered under sections 302 (premeditated murder) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Pirabad police station.

Later, Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 was incorporated in the case on a directive of the Supreme Court that also had ordered a judicial inquiry into the case by the then district and sessions judge (West), Ghulam Mustafa Memon.

Source: Dawn News