MARDAN: A jirga of local political leaders and civil society activists here on Saturday demanded provision of financial and legal assistance to the family of four-year-old girl who was sexually assaulted before murder in Mardan on January 13. It also demanded early arrest of the perpetrators of the crime.

District nazim Himayatullah Mayar chaired the jirga held here at the district council secretariat, which was attended by political leaders, civil society members and traders.

Those who attended the meeting included district naib nazim Asad Ali, PTI MPA Iftikhar Mashwani, PPP district general secretary Aurangzeb Khan, QWP leader Babar Yousafzai, JUI-F’s Habib Ahmad, ANP leader Shazia Aurangzib, JUI-P provincial president Fayaz Khan, Jamaat-i-Islami leader Ata-ur-Rahman, Public Safety Commission chairman Abdul Aziz Khan, Traders union president Ihsan Bacha and area elders.

Shows concern over police failure to trace Asma’s killer

While issuing a joint statement, Mr Mayar claimed that all political parties and members of the civil society in the district were on the same page on the issue of Asma. The jirga expressed concern over failure of the police to trace and arrest the accused in the case despite passage of 15 days.

It demanded of both the provincial and federal governments to take assistance of the expert officials of ISI and MI for proper investigation of the case.

Expressing its dissatisfaction over the police investigation, the jirga participants demanded of the authorities concerned to establish a training institute for the police so they could work on scientific lines.

The jirga members demanded of the quarters concerned to arrest perpetrators of the incident as soon as possible and include sections of rape and terrorism in the FIR registered in the rape and murder case. It also called for sending blood samples of 208 suspects in the case to the forensic laboratory. It demanded establishment of forensic labs in all divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The district nazim welcomed the suo motu action taken by the Supreme Court chief justice in the case and said that the jirga would extend full cooperation to the apex court, whenever required. He also demanded speedy legislations regarding protection of the child rights.

Mr Mashwani claimed that the provincial government would provide financial and legal aid to the affected family. He added that the PTI-led provincial government was taking steps to stop occurrence of such incidents in future.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2018