Six arrested for attack on Absar Alam, SC told

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad Police on Monday informed the Supreme Court of Pakistan that six persons have been arrested for being involved in attacking journalist Absar Alam in the federal capital.

In pursuance of court directions, the senior superintendent of police, Investigation, submitted a compliance report to the apex court regarding journalists Absar Alam and Asad Ali Toor.

On January 29, a three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali had heard a suo motu case of harassment of journalists as well as recent notices issued to some journalists and Utubers by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). The court had noted down in its order that the complainants stated that the journalists were abducted and attacked but these crimes were not properly investigated, including attacks on Asad Ali Toor, Matiullah Jan, Imran Shafqat and Amir Mir.

In its report, the Islamabad Police submitted that six accused Rizwan Ali, Hammad Suleman, Hamid Hameed, Nadeem, Muhammad Ramzan and Ramzan have been arrested in Absar Alam’s case. It submitted that on May 30, 2022, accused Hamad Suleman admitted that he committed the crime with the connivance of the above-said accused after obtaining money from Shah Nawaz and Mirza Zain Ghias who are residing in France. The court was informed that on June 7, 2022, the details of Hamad Suleman’s account in the UBL Sheikupura were obtained and it revealed that his account was opened on January 2, 2021 and on April 2, 2022, Rs 2,932,816 were transacted in the said account. The police informed the court that on June 9, 2022, a Challan under Section 173 CrPC against the six accused was submitted to the court for trial proceedings, adding that arrest warrants for Mirza Zain Ghias and Shah Nawaz were obtained and proceedings under Section 87 CrPC were initiated against them on July 31, 2022. A Challan against them was submitted under Section 512 CrPC.

The court was informed that arrest warrants for the accused residing in France have also been issued. In Asad Ali Toor’s case, the court was informed that he was also attacked on the direction of Shah Nawaz and Mirza Zain Ghias, adding that further investigations regarding the arrest of these accused would be conducted.

Referring to the abduction of journalist Matiullah Jan, the court was informed that the case was registered by his brother, adding that Matiullah, in his statement before police, neither nominated anyone nor expressed suspension about anyone. Police informed the court that Amir Mir and Imran Shafqat did not file a case in Islamabad.