RAWALPINDI: The police have allegedly helped accused Abid Shah to escape, who was involved in the three children’s missing case. The parents of the children have expressed dissatisfaction over the police’s investigation process. According to the First Information Report (FIR) registered at Waris Khan Police Station, Aftab Hussain – father of the missing children – alleged that Abid Shah and his sister Musarrat Bibi were having a dispute with his father-in-law, adding they also threatened him in the past. Aftab Hussain said, “Another person named Shakeel who was teaching holy Quran to the children was present on the spot when the children went missing. “We are sure that Shah and Mussarat Bibi with the support of Shakeel has kidnapped the children,” Hussain said. The grieving father claimed that Shah who had been nominated in the FIR was arrested on Friday by police from the house of his sister Musarrat in Rawalpindi in the presence of the children’s grandfather and other family members. However, Hussain deplored, “When our relatives reached the police station the next day, the Investigation Officer Zahid Khan said that Shah had escaped from their custody last night.” The grandmother of the abducted children leveled serious allegations against the investigation officer and said, “The investigation officer is supporting the accused and ultimately weakening the case. How it is possible that an accused can escape from the custody of the police without their support? The investigation officer is not taking interest in the case since the beginning. We have traced Shah by ourselves and informed the IO about his whereabouts. We were sure that Mussarat and our missing children are also present in that house we have located, but the IO said that they cannot search the house in the absence of a lady police officer.” Meanwhile, Zahid Khan denied the allegations and said, “Shah has not been arrested yet while Shakeel is in the custody of the police,” adding that the case would be investigated in accordance with merit. Published in Daily Times, August 16th 2018.