Pakistan

“Pakistan, welcome to Hyderabad” was the sign held up by a bevy of schoolgirls, still in uniform, who had come to see the one-day international match being played in Niaz Stadium. Of course, the Pakistani national cricket team were there, but Pakistan itself was at the party too. Women and children, cheeks painted with the Pakistani flag, were a substantial part of the 7,500 capacity crowd in Niaz Stadium.

This article opens up a contradiction that is hard to fathom:

Link to IHT Article

By Carlotta Gall
Tuesday, December 18, 2007

. . . .

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's military and intelligence agencies, apparently trying to avoid acknowledging an elaborate secret detention system, have quietly set free nearly 100 men suspected of links to terrorism, human rights groups and lawyers say.
. . . . .
The issue of the missing had become one of the most contentious between Musharraf and the Supreme Court under its former chief justice, Iftikhar Chaudhry.

Reported by Daily Times and Dawn

LAHORE: An additional district and sessions judge on Thursday accepted an application by SP Khalid Abdullah and Inspector Jamshed Chishty to acquit them of the charges of kidnapping and raping Sonia Naz. Earlier, notices had been issued to Sonia Naz on several occasions, but she had failed to appear in court. The court on Thursday rejected an application by her counsel Naveed Inayat Malik that trial against the accused should be delayed till she appeared in court. The court had started the process to declare Sonia Naz an absconder/a proclaimed offender on December 23, 2006, when she failed to appear in court. The court had also directed the police to attach her property and had earlier issued her arrest warrants, but she still did not attend the proceedings.

Thursday, April 20, 2006 E-Mail this article to a friend Printer Friendly Version

LHC rejects Sonia Naz’s plea to cancel cops’bail in rape case

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has dismissed a petition for the cancellation of the bail of two police officers accused of abducting and raping Sonia Naz.

The LHC observed that the conduct of Superintendent of Police Khalid Abdullah and Inspector Jamshed Chishty, who have been suspended, did not appear to constitute a threat or harassment of Naz and so there were no grounds to cancel the bail. The challan of the case has been submitted. Lahore Additional District and Sessions Judge Chaudhry Khaliquz Zaman granted the two police officers bail on November 24. On Wednesday, Naz’s lawyer Asma Jahangir argued that the police officers’ bail should be cancelled and their trial should be completed within a month because Naz’s life was in danger. She also asked for police protection for her client.

ISLAMABAD: Alleged Police gang rape victim Sonia Naz was badly beaten up by her seven former brother-in-laws leaving the unfortunate soul in a profoundly critical condition on Saturday.

As per details Sonia’s brother-in-law Amir who works in Lahore police broke into Sonia’s house and picked two of her kids when Sonia’s sisters came to rescue the children Amir physically tortured the two ladies and took the children along with him.

Later on the relatives helped Sonia get back her children, it was told.

When Sonia went to her former mother-in-laws house Amir and his six brothers beat her badly.

CCPO’s letter asks Asma Jehangir to hire private security for Sonia

LAHORE: The capital city police officer (CCPO) has declined to give protection and security to alleged rape victim Sonia Naz and has asked her to rely on private security, sources told Daily Times on Tuesday.

The police denied security to Sonia despite a request filed through her lawyer Asma Jehangir. Sonia stated that she was feeling insecure after the release of suspended SP Abdullah Khalid and Inspector Jamshed Chisti on bail. Fearing insecurity, Sonia has also requested the AGHS Legal Aid Cell to re-provide her shelter in Dastak, a home run by the NGO. Sonia had left the shelter after the Sattukatla police sent the challans of SP Khalid Abdullah and Inspector Jamshed Chisti for trial under the Hudood Ordinance. Sonia had decided to move back to her hometown Faisalabad and fight the case through her lawyer.

ISLAMABAD: The Sonia Naz case took a new turn after a senior lawyer in Lahore MD Tahir confirmed to police inquiry team the other day that he had informed Justice Rustum Ali Malik of Lahore High Court on May 6 that Sonia was abducted to stop her from pursuing cases against SP Abdullah Khalid.

MD Tahir’s statement is of much importance as it was recorded on the orders of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. Earlier the police team had ignored this important witness of Sonia case.

Meanwhile Sonia Naz has accused DIG Aslam Tareen inquiry team of distorting her statement and that of her in-laws in the inquiry report submitted before the chief justice last week to misguide him. She alleged the Punjab police was trying to bail out SP Khalid Abdullah at all costs and efforts were being made to distort the facts.

ISLAMABAD: A special inquiry team said on Monday that there are sufficient grounds to prosecute police officials on charges of raping, abducting and harassing Sonia Naz and recommended that they be tried under the Hudood Ordinance.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Muhammad Aslam Tareen, chairman of the investigation team, told a full bench of the Supreme Court that the Sattokatla station house officer (SHO) has been directed to submit a challan in court against SP Khalid Abdullah and SHO Jamshed Chishti under the Hudood Ordinance.

The bench, consisting of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice M Javed Buttar and Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, accepted the report and disposed of the matter. However, the court will continue to hear corruption cases against Naz’s husband.

LAHORE: Chaudhry Khaliquz Zaman, additional district and sessions judge (Lahore), on Thursday ordered the release on bail of Superintendent of Police (Faisalabad) Khalid Abdullah and Inspector Jamshed Iqbal Chishty. They are accused of kidnapping and raping Sonia Naz.

The judge ordered their release on bail after the accused furnished bail bonds of Rs 50,000 each. Their counsel said that three separate investigations had declared his clients innocent. Another investigation is underway and Abdulah and Chishty should be released on bail pending its outcome, he added. Sattukatla Sub Inspector Naseem Sarwar, the investigation officer, said that Naz could not be contacted despite several attempts to locate her. The court granted the accused bail after Sarwar’s comments.

Sonia Naz cannot be located once more and the SP and SHO accused of crimes have been set free on bail today, November 24, 2005.

This case has seen many twists and turns and is now a test of wills between the Rule of Law and corrupt police structures in Pakistan. This case is VERY important in the sense that if the corrupt police leadership are victorious, justice for the common man in Pakistan will be set back by many decades.

Here is the timeline and what has happened so far: Timeline