January 20, 2018
KARACHI: The Sindh High Court declined on Saturday to nominate a judge for the judicial inquiry to probe the murder of Intezar, a Karachi teenager shot dead by police officers last week.
Chief Minister Sindh, Murad Ali Shah had ordered a judicial inquiry into the murder of Intezar, a formal request of which was received by the Sindh High Court on Wednesday.
Today, the SHC directed the relevant session judge in the case to act in accordance with the law.
The SHC also informed the Sindh Home Ministry of its decision.
"In light of section 22-A and 25 read with section 22-B of CPC, the practice of Judicial enquiries has become redundant," said a letter addressed to the Sindh government secretary by the court.
"The District and Sessions Judge concerned have been directed to take up matter themselves or entrust the same to Additional District and Sessions Judges for exercising appropriate powers under section 22-B (a) and if necessary under section 22-A of CPC," added the letter.
Earlier the chief minister, during a conversation with Intezar’s father, said that an inquiry would be conducted according to the family’s wishes.
On Thursday, Sindh Police authorities removed senior superintendent in the Anti Car Lifting Cell (ACLC), Muqaddas Haider from his post.
According to sources, that Haider's removal was linked to the murder case of 19-year-old Intezar Ahmed, who was killed after ACLC officers opened fire on his car late Saturday in the upscale Defence Housing Authority area.
The victim's father, Ishtiaq Ahmed, said he had watched the CCTV footage which showed Intizar’s car stopping after two plain-clothes men on a motorbike intercepted his vehicle. He said the men searched the car thoroughly, but when a black car arrived and an unidentified man in the vehicle signalled to the men, they got on their motorbike and rode away.
“After that, Intizar reversed his car, but two plain-clothes men on another motorbike arrived on the scene and got off the two-wheeler. One fired at Intizar from the right side of the car while the other went to the left side and started aerial firing.”
On the basis of what he saw in the CCTV footage, the father had termed the incident a “cold-blooded murder”.
Nine police personnel were named in the incident, of which, eight are in police custody while one — Inspector Tariq Raheem — took bail from the court.