MQM worker not tortured in custody, SHC told

KARACHI: A medical board constituted for the medical examination of a worker of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement ruled out the allegation of torture as alleged by the party. MQM worker Fahad Aziz was picked up when he was escorting home his bride from the wedding ceremony and then allegedly subjected to torture by the law-enforcers. The medical board was formed by the provincial government for Mr Aziz’s medical examination on the order of the Sindh High Court. The court issued this directive while hearing a constitutional petition of the MQM against alleged extrajudicial killings and torture of party workers by law enforcement agencies. The petition was jointly filed by MQM leader Dr Farooq Sattar, party worker Fahad Aziz and his father, who cited the interior secretary, home secretary, Rangers director general, inspector general of police, Additional IG Shahid Hayat, SSP-East and Sharea Faisal SHO as respondents. The board was headed by Prof Dr Farhat Hussain Mirza, head of the department of forensic medicine, Civil Hospital Karachi, and comprised Dr Khalid Ahsan Malik, professor of surgery, Dr Badar Fayyaz Zuberi, professor of medicine, radiologists Dr Qamarus Salam and Dr Tariq Mahmood, and two doctors from the Aga Khan University Hospital — Dr Inam Pal and Dr Haroon-ur-Rashid. The medical report submitted to the SHC stated that the MQM worker was examined from head to toe, but no evidence of external injury was noted. It said: “No soft tissue injuries were identified on the dorsum or sole of feet, both feet were stained with some reddish colour chemical locally applied, the movements of both ankle joints and toes were within limits, and there was no examination of bony injury on clinically examination.” The report concluded that members of the board were of the unanimous opinion that at present (after about five weeks between alleged torture and examination) no soft tissue and bony injury could be verified. On Feb 11, the court on an application of the petitioner’s counsel had ordered the constitution of the medical board for conducting a thorough medical examination of the Muttahida worker and to submit a detailed and comprehensive report regarding the state of health and injuries that he might have suffered during the alleged police torture. According to the petitioners’ counsel, Dr Faroogh Naseem, the law enforcement agencies had unleashed a campaign of terror on the urban population, especially the MQM workers. He said that about eight people from Karachi had been killed extrajudicially in the recent past, while about 45 persons were still missing. He said that the police picked up the petitioner, Mr Aziz, when he was escorting home his bride from the wedding ceremony. He was detained by the police who subjected him to torture and demanded a bribe for his release. The Muttahida counsel said that Mr Aziz was later admitted to a hospital in Gulistan-i-Jauhar by the Sharea Faisal SHO, who alleged that he was hospitalised for having pain in the stomach. He asked the court to order the provincial authorities to pay compensation to the victim and lodge an FIR against police officials. A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar adjourned the hearing to a date to be later announced by the court’s office.