Civil society demands joint team to probe Parveen Rehman’s murder

ISLAMABAD: Human rights activists demanded the federal government and the Supreme Court set up a joint investigation team to probe the murder of Director Orangi Pilot Project Parveen Rehman. Ms Rehman was gunned down by unknown men on March 13, 2013 in Karachi. Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club on Sunday, human rights activist Farzana Bari said the Sindh police had submitted an investigation report in the court, stating that a Taliban operative named Qari Bilal had killed Ms Rehman. However, they also claimed that the murderer was killed in an encounter so the case had been closed. “It is a tactic of the Sindh police to protect the culprits. Civil society activists believe that Ms Rehman’s murderers are still in Karachi and the police are not ready to arrest them,” Ms Bari said. “Parveen Rehman was working for the rights of the people who lived in slums. There is a mafia in Karachi that does not want to give ownership rights to the slum residents. It is possible that the land mafia was behind the murder of Ms Rehman,” she said. Naseer Memon, chief executive officer (CEO) of Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) which is a non-government organisation working for the rights of women, children and minorities, said Ms Rehman had also pointed out illegal hydrants in Karachi, which had been earning billions of rupees by selling water to the locals. “There is also a possibility that the mafia which runs those illegal hydrants was involved in the murder of Ms Rehman,” he said. Potohar Organisation for Development Advocacy CEO Samina Nazir said the civil society activists had been working for the rights of the people but the government was not ready to provide security to them. “If the killings of civil society activists continue, no one will raise a voice for the poor people,” she added. CEO Imran Khan Foundation Naseemur Rehman said Parveen Rehman was being threatened by some elements. “Present Director Orangi Pilot Project Saleemuddin was also attacked by some unidentified elements in January, which shows that the killers are still in Karachi and they are attacking the members of the project,” he said. The participants were of the view that since the provincial police had failed to properly investigate the murder of Ms Rehman, the case should be opened for investigation by a joint team of federal police officers. The participants also appealed to the provincial government, especially the provincial police department, to initiate disciplinary action against the police officers identified in the report of the district and sessions judge Karachi West, who have been neglecting the investigation or have been trying to cover up the case. The report of the district and sessions judge Karachi West was submitted before the Supreme Court last month.