DI Khan stripping incident: PHC directs IGP to submit written reply today

By Akhtar Amin
November 22, 2017
PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday directed the inspector general of police (IGP) to submit a written reply today in a writ petition of a 16-year old girl who was allegedly stripped naked in a village in Dera Ismail Khan.
She is seeking protection from the accused and recovery of her video from them.
A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Syed Afsar Shah asked Advocate General Abdul Latif Yousafzai to ensure submission of written reply of the provincial police officer in the court by 12 noon today.
In the petition, Sharifa Bibi prayed the court to direct the provincial government and provincial police chief to provide security to her and her family, recover her video and nominate the man in the case who filmed episode.
The girl sought court orders for the IGP and DIG Dera Ismail Khan Range to submit weekly progress report of the investigation into the incident to ensure dispensation of justice to her.
During the course of hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer, Qazi Muhammad Anwar when started arguing before the court, the bench asked the advocate general to take written response of the IGP in the writ petition.
However, the advocate general assured the court that justice would be dispensed to the girl.
Qazi Muhammad Anwar informed the bench that politicians had started visiting the house of the victim to politicise the issue.
Salma Malik, the chairperson of “In Search of Justice,” who provided legal aid to the victim’s family, human rights activists including Shaista Khan Baloch appeared in the court along with Sajid, brother of the girl.
In the writ petition, Sharifa Bibi narrated her ordeal that took place on October 27 at her village in Garamat in Dera Ismail Khan. The petitioner claimed that initially Section 354-A dealing with the stripping of a woman and exposing her to public view was not included in the FIR. She said despite repeated requests, the police didn’t provide security to her and her family.