KP Police pressing Asma’s sister to retract statement

LONDON: The sister of murdered medical student Asma Rani says she is being pressurised by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Police to retract her statement.

In her statement, Safia Rani had disclosed that the KP Police knew about the threats to her sister’s life by the PTI leader Aftab Alam’s nephew Mujahid Afridi but they did nothing to help the family and stop the killer from fleeing abroad.

She was speaking to a local Pashtoon Jirga here in Luton which was attended by Iqbal Lala, father of deceased Mishal Khan, Ziauddin Yousafzai, father of Malala Yousufzai, Dr Hamid Achakzai, Central Deputy Secretary of Pakhtunkha Milli Awami Party, and leading Pakhtun figures from the UK.

Safia Rani said despite passage of one week, the KP govt had not arrested Asma’s killer.

“I will continue my struggle until the culprit is brought to justice,” Safia said. She said if Zainab’s killer could be arrested swiftly, why the murderer of her sister was not arrested if the police were true in their claim.

Safia said KP police officials and government had contacted her a number of times and asked her repeatedly not to give any statement about the performance of police and take back her original statement. “I cannot be silent unless the murderer is arrested and hanged publicly. My aim is to get justice only, nothing more, nothing less,” she added.

Sofia said her father suffered cardiac arrest twice and was now in hospital. “One of my sisters and one brother are disabled. My whole family feels completely unsafe in Pakistan. The ruthless murder of my sister has become a horror for a poor family like ours.” She said Pashtoon culture and traditions did not allow such brutality. She said Mujahid Afridi had proved that he was an animal and not a human being. I will continue to fight for justice not only for my sister Asma, but also for Naqeebullah Mehsud, Mishal Khan and others. The police cannot press me to get silent; I will fight again and again until justice prevails,” Sofia said. She appealed to the Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar to help her get justice as was done in Punjab.

Dr Hamid Achakzai said Pashtoons were patriot like other Pakistanis but they were being killed in the name of religion, race and creed. “Pashtoons are denied justice in PKP.” He said Pakistan was a federation but Pashtoons were being treated unfairly, particularly in the KP. Iqbal Lala said terrorism had come down the mountains and caves to universities and curriculum had become the major source of extremism.

Lala said his beloved son was an enlightened student and gave the hope of a new dawn. “He was killed not only physically, but also an attempt was made to kill an ideology of enlightenment.” Ziauddin Yousufzai said increase in the murders of innocent people in KP and all over Pakistan was alarming. He said innocent people die when a state fails to act for its citizens.