The Lahore High Court. -File Photo

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has ordered the Punjab police to proceed, in accordance with law, on a case registered against a US Consulate’s driver accused of crushing a man to death while driving a vehicle to rescue Raymond Davis involved in shooting to death two youths last month.

The court also directed police to record statements of the complainant and eyewitnesses.

Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry issued the order on a petition filed by Mohammad Ijazur Rehman, a brother of the deceased, Ibadur Rehman.

The petitioner submitted that he, along with his brother Sajjadur Rehman, was going towards Jail Road from Mozang on a bike on Jan 27 and Ibad followed them on another motorcycle. When they were near the Jail Road bus stop, he said, a Land Cruiser driven by a foreigner, violating the one-way traffic rule, hit and killed Ibad.

He said that a case had been registered on his complaint by Lytton Road police under sections 302, 427 and 34. He said that being a complainant in the case he had visited the police station for recording his statement and requested them to arrest the accused. But, he alleged, the SHO/in-charge investigation delayed the matter unnecessarily.

He said the police authorities were under pressure and used delaying tactics in recording evidence and statements of witnesses. He added that he had also complained to senior police officials, but to little avail.

The petitioner requested the court to order the SHO to record statements of eyewitness and take action against the accused.

AFP adds: Nauman Atiq, the lawyer of Ijazur Rehman, said his client was not satisfied with the police investigation.

“Police is telling us that they cannot arrest the driver or recover the vehicle because they cannot go inside the US consulate,” he said. But the court, he said, did not specifically address the issue of arresting the driver.

“Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry directed the Punjab government that it should investigate the case strictly in accordance with the law. He also ordered the investigators to record the statements of witnesses, including the brother of the deceased man.”

Assistant Advocate General Waqas Qadeer Dar, representing the Punjab government, said he told the judge that the court’s directions would be “fully complied” with.

Opinion

Editorial

Disregarding CCI
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Disregarding CCI

The failure to regularly convene CCI meetings means that the process of democratic decision-making is falling apart.
Defeating TB
04 Nov, 2024

Defeating TB

CONSIDERING the fact that Pakistan has the fifth highest burden of tuberculosis in the world as per the World Health...
Ceasefire charade
Updated 04 Nov, 2024

Ceasefire charade

The US talks of peace, while simultaneously arming and funding their Israeli allies, are doomed to fail, and are little more than a charade.
Concerning measures
Updated 03 Nov, 2024

Concerning measures

The govt must seek political input and consensus on the changes it is seeking to make and be open about its intentions.
Short-lived relief?
03 Nov, 2024

Short-lived relief?

POLICYMAKERS must be jumping with joy. At the close of the first quarter of FY25, the budget posted a consolidated...
Brisk spread
03 Nov, 2024

Brisk spread

THE surge in polio cases has reached distressing levels with a tally of 45 last reported, after two cases emerged in...