Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Even though four days have passed since the brutal murder of an innocent woman allegedly at the hands of top Bahria Town and Defence Housing Authority (DHA) officials, Islamabad Police is yet to start an investigation into the incident.

According to a case registered at Sehala Police Station, DHA and Bahria Town officials, including Waseem, Khaleel and Bashir Aalam, who were armed with automatic weapons, stormed the land of a poor family living in Kanail village, Model Town, Humak adjoining DHA Phase-II on Wednesday, October 25, 2017.

When the accused entered the private land of the complainants, one of the victims, Ansar Mehmood, tried to resist. However, he was hit with a rod by one of the trespassers, Bashir Aalam. During the scuffle, a woman belonging to the same family, Marouf Bibi, started screaming for help.

“Waseem opened fire on Marouf Bibi, badly injuring her. Khaliq also shot her in the chest,” the FIR stated.

The victim could not survive the injuries and died while being shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital.

One the main nominated attackers in the case, Khaliq, is known as the staff officer of property tycoon Malik Riaz Hussian. He usually responds to media quarries on behalf of Malik Riaz.

In the FIR, the victim’s family alleged that the murder of Marouf Bibi was carried out on the orders of DHA Secretary Col (r) Ijaz, DHA Land Director Brig (r) Ibrahim and Bahria Town Land Director Haji Amjad to occupy their land adjoining to the private housing society.

So far, the response of Islamabad Police has been disappointing in the case.

When contacted, Sehala Station House Officer (SHO) Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor said that the case was being dealt by the homicide unit of the Islamabad Police. “The investigation had nothing to do with this police station,” he said.

However, when approached, Homicide Unit investigation officer Shaukat Hussain Thabal told Daily Times that he had not yet started formal proceedings in the case because he was performing duties at the venue of the sit-in staged by religious parties in Islamabad.

Requesting anonymity, a Sehala Police officer said: “Though, it is too early to say something about the presence of nominated persons on the spot, but it is clear that police is trying to favour the property mafia.”

“By delaying the matter, police is providing a chance to DHA and Bahria Town of reaching a settlement with the family of the demised woman,” they said.

When contacted, husband of the victim and complainant in the case, Tariq Muhammad, said: “We were busy in the last rites of the victim. However, so far, police has not taken any step.”

“It is the duty of government, police and judiciary to provide us justice. They murdered my wife in broad daylight, he added.

On the other hand, Khalil categorically denied the claims made by the complainant in FIR and said: “Bahria Town has nothing to do with area in question as it is situated near DHA.”

“The FIR is totally baseless because neither I nor any of our guards was involved in this scuffle,” he said. “I was here in Islamabad. I also appeared before the Supreme Court of Pakistan on the same day.”

Published in Daily Times, October 31^st 2017.