ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court asked the Sindh government on Tuesday to consider registering the murder case of renowned philanthropist Parveen Rehman under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997.

Since Parveen apparently had no personal enmity but was the target of land and water-tanker mafias because of her views on social issues, the additional prosecutor general of Sindh should consider registering the case under the ATA, observed a two-judge bench headed by Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk.

The directive came after a judicial inquiry by District and Sessions Judge Karachi West Ghulam Mustafa recommended that the murder be reinvestigated by an efficient, independent and honest police officer.

The motive of the assailants was to get rid of Parveen and send a message to others not to take any initiative, Justice Mulk observed. “This is what terrorism is.”

Parveen Rehman, director of the Orangi Pilot Project, was shot dead by two men on a motorcycle on Manghopir Road in Karachi on March 13 last year.

In a report earlier submitted to the apex court, DIG Karachi West Javed Alam Oudho said investigations had been shelved after Taliban leader Qari Bilal was arrested during an encounter a day after the killing of Parveen. In his statement to police, Qari Bilal revealed the names of three other accused — Farhan, Tableeghi and Toor Khan — who were also involved in other crimes.

Bilal later succumbed to injuries, but the other accused had not been arrested. His involvement was established after matching the bullet empties found at the murder scene of Parveen with those used by Qari Bilal.

But a report prepared by the district and sessions judge on the orders of the Supreme Court cast doubts on the police account enter link description hereand said the mysterious encounter and recovery of the pistol did not inspire confidence as the police officer who claimed to have killed Qari Bilal stated that the suspect had suffered multiple bullet wounds but did not know on what parts of the body.

On Tuesday, Mohammad Raheel Kamran Sheikh, representing the petitioners, said he was satisfied with the recommendation of the district and sessions judge but cited Section 19 of the ATA which allows investigation into a case by a joint federal government team also including intelligence agencies.

“Since the investigation into the murder has already been done by a senior police officer, there is no point that it is again conducted by police,” the counsel aed. He said he had submitted an application requesting the court to make the federal government a necessary party in the investigation.

The additional prosecutor general of Sindh said the court needed to consider whether the case pertained to terrorism or not.

The joint petition was filed by HRCP chairperson Zohra Yusuf, Aquila Ismail, Uzma Noorani, Arif Hasan, Anwar Rashid, Kausar Saeed Khan, Karamat Ali, Zubeida Mustafa, the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research and Saiban.

        The same bench in a separate case dismissed an appeal against retired Maj Amir, a member of the government team negotiating with the Taliban, for his alleged involvement in a murder case. 

Maj Amir and his son Umar, along with two accomplices Subhan Gull and Shahaab Waheed, were nominated in the murder case registered at the Pahari Pura police station in Peshawar on behalf of Shireen Khan, brother of deceased Khan Mohammad, in February 2012.

The investigating officer had declared both Maj Amir and his son as innocent, but a district and sessions judge on a petition of Shireen Khan ordered the officer to complete all legal formalities.

Resultantly, Maj Amir approached the Peshawar High Court which overturned the order of the district and sessions judge.

Shireen Khan challenged the PHC order in the Supreme Court which upheld the high court decision and dismissed the appeal on Tuesday.