SHC turns down govt request for judicial inquiry into Intizar’s murder

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has returned a provincial government request for holding a judicial inquiry into the murder of Intizar Ahmed, directing it to follow the directives already issued in such matters.

The home department had sent a letter to the registrar of the high court, requesting a judicial inquiry into the killing of the 19-year-old student, who was shot dead by an Anti Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) police team on January 13 in the Darakhshan police limits in Defence.

The registrar asked the chief secretary to follow the court’s letter of November 18, 2005, which says that in light of sections 22-A and 25 read with sections 22-B of the Code of Civil Procedure, the practice of judicial probes has become redundant.

The district and sessions judges concerned have been directed to take up such matters themselves or assign them to additional district and sessions judges for exercising appropriate powers under Section 22-B (a) and if necessary under Section 22-A of the Code of Civil Procedure.

The chief minister had mentioned in the letter that although the case had been registered and police had started an investigation, the father of the victim expressed no confidence in the police investigation and requested a judicial inquiry.

On Thursday, Sindh police authorities had removed Senior Superintendent of Police Muqadas Haider of the ACLC from his post.

According to sources, Haider’s removal was linked to the murder case of Ahmed, who was killed after officers of the cell opened fire on his car in the Defence area, Geo News reported.

The victim’s father, Ishtiaq Ahmed, said that on the basis of what he saw in the CCTV footage, his son was murdered in cold blood.

Nine police personnel were named in the incident, of whom eight are in police custody while one — Inspector Tariq Raheem — has obtained bail from the court.