Amraiz Khan
Lahore
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Tuesday presented the investigation report on the Lahore motorway gang-rape case to Prime Minister Imran Khan.
According to a news channel, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar called on Prime Minister Imran Khan here at Governor House, Lahore and presented Gujjarpura gang-rape incident report to him.
During the meeting, the chief minister briefed the prime minister about the overall political and administrative situation of the province. The horrific gang rape of the woman, in front of her children, occurred last week on the Lahore-Sialkot motorway. Shafqat, one of the two men believed to be the culprits of the gang rape
on Lahore-Sialkot motorway was arrested yesterday and he confessed to his crime. Whereas, Abid Ali is still at large and is expected to be arrested soon.
Governor Punjab Chaudhry Ghulam Muhammad Sarwar also met with the prime minister and briefed him over welfare projects, Punjab Aab-e-Pak Authority and bringing reforms in universities.
Political matters among other issues were also discussed during the meeting.
Meanwhile, an anti-terrorism court in Lahore on Tuesday sent Shafqat Ali in the motorway gang-rape case to jail on a 14-day judicial remand.
Shafqat Ali alias Bagga, whose arrest was announced by Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Monday as a breakthrough in the case, was brought to the court by Gujjarpura police in an armoured vehicle and presented before the judge with his face
covered.
Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta also approved a request by the prosecution to hold an identity parade of the suspect.
The investigation officer of the case, Inspector Zulfiqar, presented the suspect’s record and sought his judicial remand for 14 days, saying an identity parade of Shafqat needed to be held. He told the court that the suspect’s DNA had matched with the
samples collected from the crime scene.
While approving the plea, the judge directed police to make “special arrangements” for the suspect’s identity parade to be held as soon as possible, and ensure that he does not mingle with other suspects.
Police were ordered to present the suspect before the court again on September 29.
During the hearing, Judge Bhutta asked the suspect whether he had anything to say. “Have mercy, please […] release me,” Shafqat responded. The judge told him that his DNA had matched the samples, saying: “You will be let go if you didn’t do
anything.”
Meanwhile, police on Tuesday arrested another suspect in the Lahore motorway gang-rape case during a raid in Chichawatni.
They said the arrested man, named Bala Mistri, was the owner of the auto workshop where prime suspects Shafqat and Abid Ali used to work. The police said investigators were interrogating Bala Mistri about the hideouts of Abid. Shafqat had told the
police that Bala Mistri was not involved in the felony.
