Mardan APC asks govt to arrest Asma’s killers

MRADAN: The leaders belonging to different political parties on Friday asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to arrest forthwith the killers of 4-year-old Asma, make public the post-mortem report, and include the sexual violence and terrorism acts in the first information report (FIR).

The call was made in an All Parties Conference, which was convened by the district government of Mardan and chaired by District Nazim Mardan Himayatullah Mayar. Addressing the conference, the speakers asked the government to remove the investigation officer whose performance is poor in the investigation of criminal cases and appoint a trained, talented and honest officer.

The speakers also demanded the federal and provincial governments to help the affected family. They asked the government to establish DNA testing and Forensic Laboratory at Bacha Khan Medical College, Mardan.

Meanwhile, District Police Officer Mian Saeed told this correspondent that the police had interrogated 116 suspects in the case and further interrogation of six of them was underway. He said the police would put the suspects to polygraph test and that they had already carried out the geo-fencing of the area. The DPO said he was hopeful that the culprits would be arrested soon.

Meanwhile, activists of Pakhtun Students Federation (PkSF) staged protest rally outside the press club against the murder of Naqeebullah Mahsud in Karachi and the killing of Asma at Gujjar Ghari in Mardan.

The rally was led by PkSF district president Asim Khan, general secretary Changiz Khan, member provincial organising committee Sajid Ali and other office-bearers. The protesters, chanting slogans against the Sindh government and Sindh police and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police, demanded justice for the victims and immediate arrest of the killers.

A large number of PkSF activists from different colleges and Abdul Wali Khan University participated in the rally. Addressing the protesters, the speakers said that on January 13, Naqeebullah was killed in a fake police encounter by SSP Rao Anwar in Shah Latif Town, Karachi.

The participants of the demonstration alleged that Pakhtuns were being killed in Karachi in fake encounters. They alleged that Karachi police killed 317 Pakhtuns in 97 fake encounters in the last two years. They also demanded immediate arrest of the killers of minor girl Asma, a resident Gujjar Garhi.