Policeman, four others rape law student in Multan

MULTAN: A police inspector and four others allegedly raped a law student after intoxicating her at Shah Rukn-e-Alam Colony here.

Complainant Alia Nighat had lodged her complaint with Shah Rukn-e-Alam police station, stating she is a widow and has a 21-year-old daughter Malika Khan. Her daughter was studying law at a private college in Multan.The complainant told the police that a class fellow of her daughter and his friends allegedly raped her. The alleged rapists included her class fellow Sheharyar, three unidentified men and police data centre ASI Jam Tariq, who gave heroin to her in cigarette.

The mother quoted her daughter as saying that Sheharyar is her class fellow and he invited her to a place where four others, including a cop, were present and they raped her on June 19.

Her class fellow Sheharyar first addicted her to drugs during her law education. When she became habitual, he often blackmailed her.

The victim girl also mentioned the names of drug pushers, including Arbab and Baji Kiran, of Gulgasht Colony.

Aalia Nighat also sent her complaint to the police high-ups for justice. The police have registered a case against five alleged rapists and two drug pushers.

ECP barred from issuing PTI candidate's victory notification: The Lahore High Court Multan Bench has ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan to stop the victory notification of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf ticket-holder from NA-158 Multan-IV until the decision of the petition.

Former premier Yusuf Raza Gilani had contested from NA-158 and lost his election by 8,000 votes.

LHC Multan Bench Justice Mumil Shabbir Akhtar admitted Gilani’s petition for recounting and fixed August 2 for next hearing.

Talking to journalists, Gilani’s counsel Sheikh Ghiasul Haq said his client wanted recounting of votes in the first place.

The petitioner said that the presiding officers of all polling stations counted ballot papers in absence of his polling agents.

The presiding officers prepared Form 45 in the absence of his polling agents and did not release results on that particular form. Moreover, the polling agents of the petitioner were not allowed to remain present during the counting process.

The returning officer of NA-158 heard his recounting petition. However, the RO rejected his petition, disallowing recount of ballot papers. Later, the petitioner moved the Multan region ECP for recount but the RO did not allow and finally he filed a petition before the LHC Multan Bench for recount of votes.

The LHC Multan bench judge has restrained PTI candidate Ibrahim Khan, who won from the constituency with a margin of 8000 votes, and ordered the ECP to suspend issuance of victory notification.

Talking to media men, Gilani said the NA-158 RO deprived the PPP candidates from his legal and constitutional right of recount of votes and finally they moved the LHC Multan Bench for relief.

He said the RO refused recounting after the ECP orders and he did not provide the details of postal ballot papers.

The presiding officers of respective polling stations in NA-158 issued the results on plain papers instead of Form 45.

Gilani said a consensus had been developed between the PPP and the PML-N candidates for reopening of 50 polling stations.

The PPP was bound to provide names of 25 polling stations and the PML-N would also submit the names of 25 polling stations. The PTI strongly resisted recounting.

The consensus was developed with the consent of NA-158 RO. Later, the RO allegedly received a telephone call and he backed out from consensus agreement settled between the PPP and the PML-N for reopening of 50 polling stations. The RO refused holding recount of ballot papers, he alleged.

The former premier said when they reached the RO office at 9:30am after issuance of the ECP orders, it was revealed that the postal ballot papers’ bags were de-sealed in their absence. The RO did not inform Gilani about the counting of postal ballot papers in his office.

He said the PPP had rejected the results of NA-158. He said the PPP would raise its voice at all forums including the election tribunal because the PPP mandate had been stolen.

He said PPP candidate Syed Ali Haider Gilani had won the Punjab Assembly slot with 15,000 votes but in the same NA constituency, his brother Syed Abdul Qadir Gillani had lost with 8,000 votes.

When Abdul Qadir Gilani challenged the results, the RO did not allow recounting of ballot papers in NA-154 Multan-I.