Ahmadi leader’s murder in Ferozewala: Police yet to ‘book’ suspects in custody

--- Daily Times, Pakistan

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Ahmadi leader’s murder in Ferozewala : Police yet to ‘book’ suspects in custody

• Men not produced in court, no paperwork against them yet
• Bereaved family claims politicians ‘restraining’ police from taking action
• DSP declines comment
  

By Rana Tanveer

LAHORE: The ‘arrest’ of four people in connection with an Ahmadi leader’s murder was meant to merely pacify the bereaved family, as police have not made the case against them official, nor have their names been mentioned in any paperwork. In addition, the men are yet to be interrogated, Ferozewala police sources told Daily Times on Monday.

On January 13, Ferozewala police arrested Muhammad Ahmed Faridi, Inamullah, Ashraf and Haji Arshad, for their involvement in the January 5 murder of a local Ahmadi leader, Muhammad Yousaf.

Sources said police had arrested the men only to placate the aggrieved party, but had not fulfilled all the legal formalities.

They said certain influential individuals were pressing police not to book them and keep them in lock for some time before declaring them innocent and releasing them without presenting them in court.

When contacted, Ferozewala Deputy Superintendent of Police Tariq Gujjar avoided comment on the issue.

Fatehul Din, son of the slain Ahmadi leader Muhammad Yousaf, told Daily Times that police was using ‘delaying tactics’ to hush up the case. “The police are probably serious about pursuing the matter, but certain influential politicians are pressing them to hush it up.”

Din said he had even submitted a proof of the accused’s involvement in the case to the investigation officer, adding that he had pictures proving the men in custody were provoking locals against Ahmadis in the area.

He said there had been no development in the investigation as police had been restrained from performing their duties. Din said the accused were given ‘undue protocol’ at the police station.

His counsel, Muhammad Abu Bakar, told Daily Times that according to Section 167(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), police were bound to produce the accused before a magistrate for a physical remand within 24 hours of the arrest.

URL: www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\01\19\story_19-1-2010_pg13_4

Ahmadi leader’s murder suspects ‘visit’ police again

---Daily Times, Pakistan

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Ahmadi leader’s murder suspects ‘visit’ police again

*	None of the accused have moved court for bail despite being named in FIR 8 days ago
*	Complainant denies SP’s claim that he had asked police not to arrest accused
*	MPA says four men are innocent and he advised them not to get bail

By Rana Tanveer

LAHORE: All four men accused of murdering a local Ahmadi leader in Ferozewala appeared before the Sheikhupura superintendent of police (SP) (Investigation), accompanied by a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) member of the provincial assembly, to “prove their innocence” on Wednesday.

Eight days have passed since the victim’s family nominated the four men in the FIR but the police have yet to formally arrest the suspects despite getting two chances – when the men visited the police station with PML-N MPA Pir Ashraf Rasool to ‘prove their innocence’. It is important to mention here that the suspects have not moved the court for bail so far.

According to details, two assailants gunned down 70-year-old Muhammad Yousaf while he was at his general store on January 5. A first information report (FIR) was registered at the Ferozewala Police Station, wherein Muhammad Ahmed Fridi, Inamullah son of Shaukat Ali, Ashraf and Haji Arshad were named as the accused. The two assailants were not named in the FIR.

Consent: Syed Amin Bukhari, the SP, told Daily Times that the accused were not on bail and according to the law they should be arrested, but with the consent of the complainant the police had given them a chance to prove their innocence.

The SP said both parties had appeared before him, adding that he had given them a few days to resolve the matter through a local panchayat. He said the accused had guaranteed their cooperation and would not evade the police.

Influence: However, Faatehul Din, the complainant and son of the murdered Ahmadi leader, told Daily Times the accused had been given undue favour by the police and PML-N MPA Pir Ashraf Rasool. He said he had never asked the police not to arrest the accused. He said the MPA accompanied the accused to the office of the SP to influence the police.

Suspects are innocent: The MPA told Daily Times that the four men were innocent. He said he had advised the four not to get bails as they were innocent, adding that the competent authority to decide the case were the police and the courts. Ashraf said he was ready to hand over the men to police custody.

Saleemud Din, a spokesperson for the Jamaat-e-Ahmadia, told Daily Times the accused were being given undue favour.

URL: www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\01\14\story_14-1-2010_pg13_1

Ahmadi leader killed in Ferozwala: Police let suspects leave with PML-N MPA

---Daily Times, Pakistan

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Ahmadi leader killed in Ferozwala: Police let suspects leave with PML-N MPA

* IO says nominated suspects allowed to leave on guarantee of MPA Pir Ashraf Rasool
* Complainants claim efforts being made to exonerate Yousaf’s killers

By Rana Tanveer

LAHORE: Four suspects – who remained at large for six days after their nomination in a first information report in the murder of a local Ahmadi leader were brought to a police station on Monday, but police let them leave with a member of the provincial assembly instead of arresting them, sources in the Ferozewala Police Station told Daily Times.

The sources said the MPA, a member of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), had brought the four suspects – Muhammad Ahmed Fridi, Inamullah, Ashraf and Haji Arshad – to the police station, and they remained there for more than an hour. They said the investigation officer listened to their side of the story, wherein they claimed they were innocent and had been wrongly implicated in the case. Following this, the police – instead of arresting them on the basis of their nomination in the FIR – let them go with the MPA, said the sources.

According to the FIR registered with the Ferozewala Police Station on January 5, two armed assailants attacked 70-year-old Muhammad Yousaf while he was at his general store in the presence of Yousaf’s sons, Fatehuddin and Mahmood Yousaf. The FIR said Yousaf was shot six times in the chest and arms and he died immediately. Yousaf was allegedly killed for reporting the assailants to police over their reported involvement in the spread of religious hatred against the Ahmadi sect and provoking people to kill Ahmadis. According to the FIR, Muhammad Ahmed Fridi, Inamullah, Ashraf and Haji Arshad abetted Yousaf’s murder.

The policeman in charge of the investigation, Sub-Inspector Rai Zulfiqar Ali, told Daily Times that the suspects came to the police station with PML-N MPA Pir Ashraf Rasool, and conceded they were allowed to leave, “as the complainant party did not come to the police station”.

MPA’s guarantee: He said the suspects were summoned to the police station on Monday to listen to arguments from both sides. He said although the four men had been named in the FIR, they were allowed to leave on the MPA’s guarantee. “The MPA will bring them to the police station on Tuesday (today),” he said.

Zulfiqar said police were trying locate the two assailants – who had not yet been identified. He said after three raids were conducted to arrest the four suspects named in the FIR, the MPA brought them to the police station.

Exonerate suspects: Yousaf’s son Fatehuddin told Daily Times that police and the MPA were giving the suspects “an undue favour”. He said efforts were being made to “exonerate the suspects because they are influential”.

He claimed that the MPA had been “sheltering the suspects since the day of the murder … they have been living with him”. He said while police summoned his family to the station on Monday, they did not go because “we were feeling insecure because of their influence”.

Azhar Siddique advocate, an expert in criminal law, told Daily Times that the police decision to let the suspects go was “gross misconduct and illegal”. He said the development showed that police were biased against the complainants.

Meanwhile, the Jamaat Ahmadia Lahore adopted a resolution against the murder of a member of their sect. Spokesman Munawar Shahid told Daily Times that his group strongly condemned the role of “extremists spreading religious hatred”. He said that with such incidents on the rise, the government must take serious notice of alleged atrocities against Ahmadis.

URL: www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010\01\12\story_12-1-2010_pg13_1