ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The National Assembly has been told that during the tenure of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led incumbent government, 16 cases of death in police custody have been registered in the Punjab province, one in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one in Balochistan.
In reply to a question by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker Romina Khurshid Alam, the Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari informed the House in written on Thursday that her ministry had taken notice of the incidents regarding brutal killing of innocent people by police across the Country.
The human rights minister told that as per reports of the provinces, out of a total 16 cases of death in police custody in Punjab, three were in Kasur, two each in Faisalabad and Lahore, one each in Gujrat, Sheikhupura, Mandi Bahauddin, Sargodha, Multan, Sahiwal, Pakpattan Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan.
The minister further told that out of these cases, five cases were canceled being found false, eight cases were challaned in which 15 police officers were involved. She told that in the departmental proceedings, 13 police officers were dismissed from service, one was awarded minor punishment and one was suspended whereas three cases are still under investigation.
Dr Shireen Mazari told that all field units are sensitized to eliminate the act of torture and adopted scientific tools to interrogate accused during investigation.
NCHR received 45 complaints of custodial and extra judicial killing from Jan 2018 to Dec 2019
Furthermore, the minister apprised that the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) had also taken notice of killing of innocent people by the police across the Country.
The minister told that the NCHR received 45 complaints related to custodial and extra judicial killing throughout Pakistan from January 2018 to December 2019, and out of which 20 cases were from Punjab, 20 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and five from Sindh. She told that out of 45 cases received by the NCHR, three are at hearing stage, 25 are at initial investigation stage and 17 are disposed of.
Shireen Minister told that the National Commission for Human Rights is in the process of producing fact finding reports with recommendations and corrective measures for stopping custodial death and extra judicial killing.
