Rights violations by Punjab police irk NCHR chief

ISLAMABAD: The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) chairman Ali Nawaz Chohan on Tuesday expressed serious reservations and displeasure over the performance of Punjab police force.

After hearing the plea of a father, whose young son had allegedly been killed by the police in an encounter, Chohan showed grave concern over the police’s attitude, especially in terms of human rights violations committed in the garb of ‘police encounters’.

According to details, Jalal, the father of 22-year-old Tariq who was killed in an alleged staged police encounter back in 2015, said: “My son was picked up from his house by authorities in the night and kept for three days and then his body was handed over to the family.”
He claimed that a feudal lord, identified as Ismail Khosa, had conspired to murder his son to take revenge after members of Jalal’s family disobeyed him, causing humiliation to him.

Jalal said his family members work hard to earn a livelihood and lamented that he would be treated like a slave by the feudal lord.

“My son paid the highest price for never allowing himself to bow down to before anyone,” he added.

Jalal said the incident took place almost three years ago but still the family was being threatened by Khosa for pursuing the case. The police also did not cooperate and instead harassed the victim’s family, he added.

The complainant said when the family protested against this, officials in power registered fake cases against them, as well as, subjected them to torture to muzzle their voice.

“I was detained in police station and tortured for three days for leading the protest with Tariq’s body,” Bilal, Tariq’s uncle claimed.

According to him, Khosa also ruined the entire family’s different sources of income.

After hearing the family’s stance, the the NHCR chairman also heard the other party, representing the Punjab police.

Expressing his displeasure, Khosa said Punjab being the country’s biggest province has severe problems which needed special attention of the authorities.

Rural areas of the province are still consistently been neglected, said Chohan and added that even to this day citizens face bullying at the hands of feudal.

The case has been adjourned till next date and the NCHR chief asked the police to submit a detailed report in next hearing.

Source: Express Tribune