Sonia Naz - Rape Case (Part IV) – Latest Update

On Friday 2 September Sonia Naz recorded her statement before an inquiry committee at the office of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). According to the Daily Times:

• Sonia, who a day earlier had expressed her confidence in the HRCP to monitor her case, reached HRCP Chairman Asma Jehangir’s office where she met the two-member committee appointed by Punjab Inspector General (IG) of Police Ziaul Hassan.The victim recorded her statement before the inquiry committee chief Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Zafar Ahmed Qureshi from 11:30am to 5:00pm.
• Sonia said unidentified people kidnapped her from her house in Johar Town, Lahore, took her to an unknown location (probably Faisalabad).
• She said Inspector Chishti raped her while SP Abdullah urinated in her mouth after failing to rape her.
• A formal complaint was registered at Sattokatla Police Station on Friday night, which would be considered as a First Information Report.
• The HRCP will provide her shelter, while police will provide her security during the investigation process.
• Sonia said she did not know anything about her husband. She said she would stay with her family (two children) under police guard.
• Asma Jehangir said, adding, “National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain and MNA Mehnaz Rafi should publicly apologise to the victim, as their action (of having her arrested for entering the National Assembly) gave way to Sonia’s rape.”
• Meanwhile, Brian Heath, the principal officer of the US Consulate in Lahore, and several senior US officials also visited the HRCP chairperson’s office and met the investigation team and Sonia’s attorney. Reportedly, the US officials expressed concern over the issue and hoped the investigation would be fair.
  

The following day (3 September) the Punjab government announced the formation of a one-member judicial tribunal comprising the Faisalabad district and sessions judge, Abdul Waheed Khan, to investigate the Sonia Naz rape case within seven days.

But Sonia Naz has refused to appear before the the tribunal. According to Press Reports:

• Sonia Naz ... said that judge of judicial inquiry tribunal is a close relative of the prime accused of rape case, Jamshed Chishti therefore she (Sonia) had no hope of justice from the said tribunal.
• She said that she would not record her statement if she were forced to appear before tribunal.
• Sonia Naz demanded to conduct the investigation of her rape case by High Court or Supreme Court.
• While the advocates of the Sonia Naz have decided to file writ petition against judicial tribunal in Supreme Court today. Advocates argued that when Supreme Court took notice under suo moto action, how could district and session hold inquiry of the case?

And today Dawn reports that:

• Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s lawyers have reportedly decided to ask the one-member inquiry tribunal not to initiate an inquiry into the rape-cum-torture allegations levelled against a former investigation SP and other police officials as the apex court had already sought a report from Punjab chief secretary and IG on the matter.
• The HRCP has also decided not to send victim Sonia Naz to Faisalabad to appear before the inquiry tribunal which had summoned her on Monday (today).
• Meanwhile, the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights has also taken up the case of Sonia’s alleged rape and torture, and missing of her husband…According to police sources, the committee had directed DIG Sajjad Ahmad and the DPO to appear before it with all relevant record on Monday.
• [The Police Enquiry Committee] probing the Sonia Naz rape allegations against two police officials and the motor registration scandal has summoned for Monday (today) DIG (Jails) Chaudhry Nasir Mahmood Warraich and over a dozen police officials for recording their statements in the Central Police Headquarters in Lahore.
• [The Police Enquiry Committee suspects] the involvement of DIG (Jails) Nasir Mahmood Warraich, a close relative of chief accused SP Abdullah Khalid Warraich, and all those officers who remained in touch with the investigation process in the motor vehicles scandal which led to the ‘arrest’ and subsequent disappearance of Asim Yousaf, the husband of Sonia.

Your blogger will continue providing updates.

In the meantime let us all hope that justice will prevail.

Related Sonia Naz Blogs
The Glasshouse –I Was Raped on Police Officer’s Orders (Part I)
The Glasshouse - Sonia Naz: Rape Case (Part II) - The Background
The Glasshouse - Sonia Naz: Rape Case (Part III) - Subsequent Events
The Glasshouse - A Sonia Naz Update - 26th September
The Glasshouse - Sonia Naz - Rape Case (Part V) – November Update
The Glasshouse - Sonia Naz : A Victim of Grubby Punjab Politics?

The Glasshouse - Sonia Naz – The Unfolding Tragedy – April 2005

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