Vehicle involved in hit and run was in use of LHC judge, court informed

ISLAMABAD: Inspector General of Islamabad Police Ali Nasir Rizvi on Friday informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that the luxury vehicle of the Lahore High Court (LHC) involved in hit and run case in which two persons were killed was driven by a woman and was in the use of Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmed, who has recently been elevated to the Supreme Court.

IG Islamabad appeared before the IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq in response to a petition seeking release of father of one of the deceased persons who was arrested while protesting against the lethargy of the Islamabad police in the investigation of the hit and run case.

Rafaqat Tanoli, father of deceased Shakeel Tanoli, was also pursuing the case in the Islamabad judiciary since 2022, but to no avail.

Last month, Judicial Magistrate Suhaib Bilal Ranjha rejected the request of Islamabad police seeking to recover Land Cruiser that was involved in the said accident, and the Islamabad’s court granted its custody to the protocol officer of the LHC on superdari.

IG assures IHC people arrested while protesting police inaction will be released

Justice Farooq expressed displeasure over the arrest of the aggrieved father and said that the police treated him as if he was a terrorist.

Advocate General Islamabad Ayaz Shaukat informed the court that Tanoli along with other protesters attempted to enter the Red Zone, therefore, the police took them into custody.

Justice Farooq remarked that father of the deceased has been running from the pillar to post for the last two years, but to no avail. He was registering his protest and the police is under obligation to restore confidence of citizens on the institutions.

IG Islamabad informed the court that vehicle belonged to Quaid-i-Azam Thermal Plant and was transferred to the Home Department.

It was first allotted to LHC Justice Qasim Khan and later on it was given to Justice Malik Shahzad Khan and was in use of his family.

He said the LHC took the custody of vehicle on superdari and the police was making efforts to recover it from the official who took it from the police station.

He said that the police held negotiation with the protesters for about an hour and then took them in the custody.

Justice Farooq expressed displeasure and said that how could the police arrest them over protest, while the sections invoked against the protesters were bailable.

IG Islamabad assured the court that the protesters will be released on personal sureties.

The court directed him to proceed in the hit and run case in accordance with the law and adjourned hearing till next week.

In 2022, a sports utility vehicle allegedly driven by the daughter of the Lahore High Court judge ran over two persons — who worked at Savour Foods — near the Sohan bridge on the Expressway at midnight and the investigation into the case had remained stalled.

As per the details available in the judicial record, on June 8, Shakeel Tanoli and his colleague Hasnain Ali were going home at midnight when they were hit by an SUV allegedly driven by a woman.

According to the details, the woman left the vehicle behind as she fled the scene. The police took the vehicle in custody which was later given to an official of the Lahore High Court on ‘superdari’ in July 2022 upon assurance that he “shall produce the vehicle in the court as and when required”.

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2024