منگل کی کاروائی

Sonia Naz Case Inquiry Began at Lahore on Tuesday
Moving scenes were witnessed in the office of Deputy Inspector-general Police Lahore on Tuesday when two young brothers, sisters, father-in-law and mother-in-law of Sonia Naz met for the first time after the incident of rape. As soon as they all gathered and saw each other standing there with uncertainty and fear, they all started weeping bitterly. They also embraced each other as this was their first family gathering after stunning reports of the rape appeared in the media and Sonia was kicked out of their homes, first by her in-laws and, then, by her brothers. Sonia, who was there with her two year-old-son, was very emotional when she saw her ailing father-in-law, Malik Yousaf, for the first time, since forcing her out in the wake of the alleged rape.

In an enduring tear-jerker, Yousaf embraced his daughter-in-law and sobbed. He told Sonia that he was now ready to accept her as daughter-in-law. But he cried aloud, asking where could he take her for shelter as there was none now. Sonia, too, lost her composure when she saw her father-in-law looking like a beggar after remaining in hiding for a long time. Parents-in-law of Sonia had no place in Lahore to stay and were taken by the younger brother of Sonia to his home.

Malik Yousaf had sold out his two shops to allegedly pay bribes to the police. He was living in a rented house in Faisalabad and was running a thread mill, which, too was taken over by police. Malik Yousaf continued to weep in his two hour-long evidence and confirmed the allegations of abduction and rape of Sonia. He admitted to the police that when she returned home after 15 days, her condition was very bad because of physical torture. He also told the inquiry team as to how SP Khalid Abdullah after registering fake cases against him for stealing a car at the age of 68, made his life difficult. He was compelled to lock his house to save the honour of his two young daughters.

Earlier, the two younger brothers of Sonia Naz appeared before the inquiry team and confirmed that their sister was raped by SP Abdullah as when she returned home after remaining absent for 15 days, her condition was quite bad and it was clear that she was subjected to physical torture and sexual assaults. They told the inquiry officer that they were threatened by some people not to appear before the inquiry officer, otherwise they would face serious consequences. Both the younger brothers also confirmed as to how the police had started a crackdown on their family and their mother was humiliated and tortured by a raiding police team. They were also crying all along and asked their disgraced sister as to what would become of their family and how could they now lead a normal life.

Has Asim been Tortured to Death by Police ?
The one-judge tribunal, District and Sessions Judge Faisalabad Abdul Waheed Khan began judicial inquiry of the rape victim, Sonia Naz, case Tuesday. Constable Iqbal Farid said the main accused in the excise scandal, Asim Yousaf was apprehended under orders of SP Investigation Khalid Abdullah. The police had not entered his arrest in the "Roznamcha" and the accused was kept in police custody. After four days, Asim Yousaf asked him and Constable Noor Muhammad that he wanted to see his ailing father in Samanabad Colony. "We accompanied the accused in a hired car and went to the house of his father where Asim Yousaf saw his father and changed clothes. On the way, Asim asked that he had to make a telephone call. We stopped the car there but he did not turn up even after the passage of 15 minutes. We conducted a search for him but could not trace Asim."