Special team 'to be formed' for investigation of Karsaz accident

• Suspect’s blood samples sent to two different laboratories.
• Suspect "kept changing her statement" during investigation.
• Family can take diyat money equivalent to 30,360 grams silver.

KARACHI: Inspector General of Sindh Police (IGP) Ghulam Nabi Memon has decided to form a special investigation team to probe the Karsaz road accident case against a woman driver.

The IGP said an officer of senior superintendent of police (SSP) rank would work with the investigation team, as they were taking it as a high-profile case.

A young daughter and an elderly father were killed on August 19 when the suspect's SUV car crashed into multiple vehicles near the Pakistan Maritime Museum.

The deceased and injured were brought to the JPMC for medico-legal formalities and treatment, respectively.

Those killed in the accident were identified as 26-year-old Aamna Arif and 60-year-old Imran Arif, while one of the injured was in critical condition, said police.

According to law enforcement officials, the woman who caused the accident received an injury on her head and her CT scan was conducted at the JPMC.

The woman is a resident of KDA Scheme-I. She was going through the service road near Karsaz when, according to her, the car got out of control and caused the accident.

The suspect was identified in the first information report (FIR) as "Natasha", who was sent to jail on judicial remand by a court in Karachi on August 21.

Meanwhile, sources involved in the investigation told Geo News the woman’s medical report was delayed and it could take two to three more days to it to be received.

The sources said the suspect’s blood samples were sent to two different laboratories for further development in the investigation. It was decided that a sample would be sent to a laboratory in Lahore as well, they said.

They said details about route of Natasha’s vehicle were also obtained. As per the details, she left her house in the KDA Scheme-I for her mother-in-law’s house, situated at a distance of about 3-4 kilometers, they maintained.

The sources said the suspect kept changing her statement during the investigation.

While, they said, they were trying to verify the report about her holding a driving license and citizenship of a foreign country.

According to the investigative sources, charges in the case were altered and the case was weakened by imposing Section 320 — which pertains to 'unintentional murder' (qatl bil khata) by negligent driving.

However, Section 322 of murder had been added in the case, the sources maintained. Section 322 states punishment about 'murder on purpose' (qatl bil sabab) which may be punishable by 10-18 years imprisonment in addition to the diyat money.

The family members could opt for the diyat money equivalent to 30,360 grams of silver, the sources said.

They said according to the current price of silver, amount of diyat would be Rs6.85 million. If the diyat money was accepted, the case would be disposed of, they maintained.

The sources stressed that the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), the penal code for offences charged in the country, needed to be amended as it was prepared in 1860.

“Due to lack of amendment in Pakistan Penal Code, cases are weakened,” they said.