A 21-year-old American vlogger was allegedly gang-raped by her tour guide and his two accomplices in Dera Ghazi Khan on July 17. A case was registered against Muzamil Sipra, Shehzad and Azaan Khosa by the Border Military Police (BMP).
Yesterday, she shared an update about her case on her Instagram story and said that one of the suspects, Azaan Khosa, had been granted a pre-arrest bail.
“Azaad Khosa had not been arrested for all this time. Today, he obtained a pre-arrest bail and is scheduled to be produced in front of court on August 6.”
She also alleged that the DNA test report “has been subjected to delays and is still pending.” The DNA samples were collected on July 20.
‘Can never recover,’ says foreigner who was raped in DG Khan
Earlier, while talking to the media, the woman revealed she knew the man [one of the culprits] for a long time and is hurt by the fact that he could do something like this.
“I am deeply hurt by the fact that a friend I have known for such a long time was trying to portray a positive image of this beautiful country to foreign travellers, who seemed so trustworthy, could commit such a vile and horrific act,” she said.
She said that she can never recover from the mental scars that the incident has left.
The woman said that the legal proceedings in this regard are very difficult, but there is hope that justice will be served. According to her, so far the proceedings have been smooth.
میں بہت تکلیف میں ہوں، میں سوچ بھی نہیں سکتی تھی کہ پاکستان میں میرا دوست میرے ساتھ اتنی گھٹیا حرکت کرے گا، میں اس ذہنی اذیت سے کبھی نکل نہیں پاؤں گی۔ پاکستان میں گینگ ریپ کا نشانہ بننے والی امریکی لڑکی کا ویڈیو بیان۔ https://t.co/rpKuLXgOga
According to Deputy Commissioner Anwar Baryar, the woman stayed at one of the suspects’ houses in Rajanpur before reaching Fort Munro.
Following the horrendous incident, she registered an official complaint. According to the rape survivor, they raped her in a hotel in Fort Munro.
A case was registered against Sipra, Shehzad and Azan Khosa by Border Military Police (BMP). In a First Information Report (FIR), the survivor said, “We stayed in a hotel at Fort Munro where both suspects gang-raped me”, adding that they also made a video to blackmail her.
She alleged that she was threatened for reporting the matter to the police.
BMP has arrested two suspects involved in this incident. District Police Officer (DPO) of DG Khan tweeted, “This incident has taken place in the limits of Border Military Police (BMP) Tribal Area Police Station Fort Munro. They have taken immediate action on the complaint of a foreign woman.”
یہ واقعہ بارڈر ملٹری پولیس ٹرائبل ایریا تھانہ فورٹ منرو کی حدود میں پیش آیا ہے جس پر بارڈر ملٹری پولیس ٹرائبل ایریا ڈی جی خاں نے غیر ملکی خاتون کی شکایت پر فوری کارروائی کرتے ہوئے اس واقعہ میں ملوث دونوں ملزمان کو گرفتار کر لیا ہے۔ واقعہ میں مزید تمام پہلوؤں سے تفتیش کی جاری ہے۔ https://t.co/GaNbb3AeQQpic.twitter.com/eWZ2h2woex
Claim: Butt Karahi Lahore was sealed for serving dead animal meat
Fact: Butt Karahi Lahore was sealed for violating Covid-19 protocols
On Sep 13, 2021 several Twitter users came out in protest against Lahore’s famous Butt Karahi, tweeting and condemning them for serving dead animal meat. Some of these posts can be found here, here, here and here.
However, Lahore’s Deputy Commissioner, Umer Sher Chattha, took to Twitter to clarify that the eatery was sealed for violating Covid-19Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Clarification AC city sealed it due to Civid SOP violation, not because of serving dead animal https://t.co/I1xCpknsAJ
Chattha wrote in a tweet, “Clarification AC city sealed it due to Covid SOP violation, not because of serving dead animal.” Butt Karahi fans were quite relieved to see this clarification.
The flags of the Afghan Taliban was found hoisted on the rooftop of a Jamia Hafsa madrassah located in the heart of the capital, Dawn News has reported. I
Islamabad officials while speaking to Dawn News said “four to five white flags of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan were found hoisted on the rooftop of Jamia Hafsa in G-7/3.”
“The flags were spotted after Zuhr prayers and shortly the capital administration and police were informed about it,” they said.
Deputy Commissioner Islamabad in a tweet said that the administration have removed the flags.
The Hindu temple in Bhong town that was vandalised by a mob has been completely restored to its original shape and handed over back to the minority community, reported Dawn.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dr Khuram Shehzad said that for the security of the temple, a boundary wall was also being constructed around it.
He said the work on the restoration of the idols (Moorti) damaged during the attack on the temple would be completed soon.
DC said that all the expenses required for the restoration of the temple would be recovered from the rioters involved in the attack.
Shehzad added that it would take two months to complete the work on the restoration of the idols in the temple.
He said the Hindu community would start performing religious rites at the temple after the restoration of the idols.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has issued final notices to the owners of Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor’s ancestral houses as the government plans to take over the properties after Eid, Geo News has reported.
As per details, KP Archaeology and Museums Department Director Dr Abdul Samad has said that restoration work on both houses will take place following the take over.
Dr Abdul Samad added that the “deputy commissioner has sent the final notices to the landlord”.
Meanwhile, the owners of the properties will be summoned on May 18, and they can demand the KP government or the court for a higher price and can submit their objections.
Earlier this year in January, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan approved Rs 23.56 million to purchase the ancestral houses of two Bollywood legends Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor in Peshawar, but the owner of Kapoor Haveli in Peshawar refused to sell the house to the government at the price set by the authorities.
As per reports, the value of Raj Kapoor house is Rs 15 million, while Kumar’s home is worth Rs 8.56 million. Both houses will be converted into museums after restoration work.
Despite Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan telling bureaucrats that they need to change their mindsets because “there is no room for ancient practices in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Naya Pakistan”, The Current has learnt details of the harrowing experience of a group of junior bureaucrats who were “subjected to torture” by their boss in Toba Tek Singh district of Punjab.
According to sources, at least four of the said junior bureaucrats — currently serving as assistant commissioners (ACs) in different parts of the district — were subjected to torture by the deputy commissioner (DC) who “robbed” them of their official vehicles on late Saturday night and forced them to walk back to their posts over “poor performance”.
“The ACs included those of Toba Tek Singh, Kamalia, Pir Mahal and Gojra tehsils,” they said and added the junior bureaucrats were ridiculed in front of lower staff of the DC Office as well as that of their own. “Reprimanding your juniors over unsatisfactory performance is one thing but mistreating them, the way it was in this case, is outrageous.”
Speaking to The Current, one of the ACs, on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that they had been subjected to torture as the DC, besides taking away their official vehicles, had also mistreated them by forcing them to stand outside the office as a punishment until around 1 am when they were told to walk back home. “We managed to make arrangements for our commute but three of us were women, and family members of my colleagues believe the mistreatment has scarred their daughters for life.”
“This is not at all acceptable and we want the government to take action but it can cost us our careers,” said the AC, to which sources said that the victims feared calling their boss out or approaching high-ups because their immediate superior, which in this case is the DC, is responsible to evaluate them in the annual confidential report (ACR) that is a performance evaluation of a public servant.
Toba Tek Singh tehsil AC, on the other hand, rejected his own colleagues’ claims. “It was just a routine meeting and nothing happened,” he said. When informed that his colleagues had already confirmed the claims regarding their mistreatment, the AC said “the DC can say anything to her officers”.
“It was a meeting between the DC and her officers and we, under ethics of the service, are bound to obey the orders of our seniors.”
Contrary to Toba Tek Singh AC’s beliefs, several other public servants and locals privy to the development are of the view that the DC “must be transferred for the sake of the people of the district as Eidul Azha and Muharram amid the coronavirus pandemic are around the corner and local authorities under such a supervisor cannot give their best at a sensitive time”.
“There is a difference between running a tight ship and stooping as low as the DC did,” they say, urging Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar to take action.
Repeated attempts were made to contact Toba Tek Singh DC as she was informed of the claims made by her subordinates but she did not comment.
Attempts were also made to contact Punjab Information Minister Fayazul Hasan Chohan to ask him about the government’s reaction to the incident and progress on its promise of revamping bureaucracy for better governance, but he too was unavailable.
Meanwhile, PTI Toba Tek Singh President Dr Waheed Akbar Chaudhry and local leader as well as Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar’s brother, Chaudhry Muhammad Ramzan, have “appreciated” the DC over her treatment of the ACs.
“People are always complaining about these officers for doing nothing. Whatever the DC has done was the right thing to do and we hope she will continue discharging her duties diligently and without any leniency,” they said in a statement.
Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Hamza Shafqat has announced that following a sharp rise in cases in Sector G-6/2, G-6/1, G-10/4, G-7/2 and Ghori Town, the areas will be sealed in next 36 hours. The DC asked residents to plan their activities accordingly.
We are about to seal Sector G-6/2, G-6/1, G-10/4, G-7/2 and Ghori Town in next 36 hours. There were more than 40 cases/area in last few days. There were more than 25 deaths reported. Residents are requested to please plan accordingly.
— Deputy Commissioner Islamabad (@dcislamabad) June 22, 2020
Earlier, Sector G-9/2, G-9/3 were also sealed to curb the coronavirus cases.
Lock down of Sector G-9/2, G-9/3 and Karachi Company is extended for another 3 days. Cases are being evaluated on daily basis. Surveillance teams have collected over 600 samples from suspected individuals since the lock down. My request is to plz cooperate ✅
— Deputy Commissioner Islamabad (@dcislamabad) June 20, 2020
While talking to the Arab News, Islamabad’s Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Hamza Shafqaat told that the number of coronavirus cases in Pakistan’s federal capital has significantly decreased in the wake of the smart lockdown in the city.
10,912 coronavirus cases have been reported in Islamabad so far.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Accountability Shahzad Akbar has been accused of getting removed at least two top-tier civil servants, including Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner (DC) Saifullah Dogar, in a bid “to assist his brother grab land” in Mandra town ofthe district’s Gujjar Khan tehsil.
According to sources, the tussle began when British-Pakistani Jawad Sohrab Malik, who is the nephew of Federal Minister for Privatisation Muhammad Mian Soomro, accused Murad Akbar, the brother of PM Imran Khan’s aide, of attempting to illegally occupy his land in the town near the Grand Trunk (GT) Road.
They said Malik’s late grandfather had purchased over 10 kanals of land in the town back in 1986 and built on it a flour mill a year later, which still stands there. “A watchman was also hired to look after the said piece of land as its succession to the heirs has not yet been made and it is still in the name of Malik’s deceased grandfather.”
‘MURAD AKBAR WANTS TO GRAB LAND’:
Sources close to the lawmaker’s nephew told The Current that his supervisor on January 14 called Malik to inform him that six or seven people had arrived at the site claiming they had purchased two kanals of it. “Malik told him [the watchman] to approach the police and file a complaint against the intruders’ attempt to forcibly take possession of his land,” sources said, adding that the unidentified persons fled as soon as they saw police reaching the scene.
A report quoted Malik as saying that three days after the incident, nearly 50 people sent by Murad arrived at the venue with bricks and other construction material. Once again the supervisor called him to inform what was going on. “A senior police officer and assistant commissioner of Gujjar Khan also arrived at the site uninvited to ensure these people take the possession of the land,” he said.
Malik said a case was filed by Murad in a civil court in 2015, claiming the ownership of two kanals of land, and got a favourable decision ex-parte in 2018. “The deceased grandfather was made the respondent and notices were deliberately sent to wrong addresses so that the one-sided proceedings are held.”
He further said he was scared that by using government machinery, Murad would take possession of the land by force, leaving him in the lurch. “To avoid this, I got stay orders from a civil court and the ADCR.”
Sources claimed that as the tussle continued, Additional District Collector Revenue (ADCR) Rizwan Qadeer also reported that Murad’s ownership was forged and the transfer of land was fake, allegedly upsetting Imran’s aide Shahzad. The report was approved by the DC, following which the Rawalpindi police chief was ordered to use force to ensure transfer of the two kanals of land to Murad.
“The cop, however, refused to intervene saying that it was a civil matter and police couldn’t interfere,” sources said, adding that in the meantime, DC Dogar was reprimanded by powerful circles and transferred along with the ADCR in what was “ironic misuse of authority” by the premier’s aide on accountability.
OTHER SIDE OF STORY:
A friend of Shahzad Akbar, who presented the SAPM’s version but clarified he “wasn’t his spokesperson”, told The Current that the cabinet member had been stopped to issue any statement over the episode by the premier himself.
He asserted that succession of the land had not been carried out because of the disputes within the Malik family, and shared documents and footage to support his claims.
According to documents provided by Akbar’s friend, Murad had bought 17 marlas of land in Moaza Bucha of Gujjar Khan’s Khasra # 473 on main GT Road in April 2005. He later also purchased another 23 marlas of land from the same khasra on June 9, 2008, the documents claimed.
In 2009, he gave an application to the revenue office of Gujjar Khan for partition and possession of his land, he claimed. “After 10 years of hectic litigation, in April 2018 the Gujjar Khan revenue office finalised the partition suit and divided Khasra # 473 into two, making Murad exclusive owner of Khasra 473/1 measuring 40 Marlas,” as per the documents.
After giving him possession, the revenue office also sectioned partition mutation number 2849 dated May 31, 2018 declaring exclusive and legal owner and possessor of Khasra number 473/1. Murad got demarcated the dimensions of his land on Jan 13, 2020 before starting construction and consigned demarcation report in Tehsil Office, Gujjar Khan, they claimed.
The source claimed Malik visited the Gujjar Khan Revenue Office on January 13-16 escorted by police officials deputed for squad duty of Soomro.
On January 17, when labourers were working on Murad’s alleged land to construct boundary wall, the minister’s official escort number GAE 538 with uniformed police officials reached the spot.
A private Vigo UC-1-ICT, allegedly registered in the name of Malik, with armed guards reached the scene and threatened labourers of consequences and asked them to stop the work.
Murad claimed that Somroo called Mandra station house officer (SHO) and ordered him to intervene. The Gujjar Khan Revenue Department after examining the documents of both sides decided that Murad, being “legal owner”, is within his right to build the wall.
Somroo and Shahzad Akbar have reportedly spoken to each other about the dispute, but wide differences exist as both fully support the claims of their relatives and are unwilling to budge from their respective stands. Both the leaders were contacted for a comment, however, they were unavailable.
Malik, however, denied the claims made by the aide of Akbar, saying his family was the rightful owner of the property. He also claimed that he was not present at the scene when the incident took place.
OFFICERS BEAR THE BRUNT:
Meanwhile, an official notification, a copy of which is available with The Current, showed that two civil servants who have been removed from office include Rawalpindi DC Saifullah Khan Dogar and ADCR Rizwan Qadeer.
Sources said the two officials, who were also allegedly reprimanded by Shahzad, were let go due to alleged misuse of authority owing to the high-level power struggle between the two top members of the federal cabinet.
Saifullah was transferred on January 20 and replaced with Capt (r) Muhammad Anwar-ul-Haq, while Rizwan Qadeer was transferred two days earlier. An assistant superintendent of police (ASP) in Gujjar Khan has also been transferred reportedly due to the dispute.
Shahzad Akbar’s friend, however, says that the removal was merely a co-incidence. He also hinted at another case pertaining to a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senator, being the reason behind the transfer of the Rawalpindi DC.
None of the said officers were available for a comment.
