LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday directed the joint investigation team (JIT) probing the Kasur child abuse scandal to submit a detailed report on the case.
The LHC Chief Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik gave this directive while hearing a petition demanding trial of the case by an Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) instead of a court of ordinary jurisdiction.
Earlier, Punjab Home Secretary Azam Salman Khan, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera, the JIT chief DIG Abubakar Khuda Bakhs and other officials appeared before the court.
The IGP told the court that seven cases had been registered so far on complaints received by the police.
“I myself visited Kasur and motivated people to lodge complaints, if any, about the alleged child abuse,” Sukhera said, adding that police had arrested twelve suspects and more arrests were underway.
An additional advocate general told the court that provisions of Anti-Terrorism Act had been added to the FIRs of the case and the arrested suspects were on physical remand.
At this, the chief justice said to petitioner’s counsel that the government had already inserted the ATA provisions in the case as requested in the petition.
Advocate Aftab Bajwa, the counsel, putting another request said the head of the JIT should be an officer of ISI along with officials of other secret agencies as its members.
Opposing the request, the law officer stated that the law did not allow making an officer of secret agency head of joint investigation team. The JIT could be led by a police officer only, he added.
Chief Justice observed that the courts did not follow anyone’s desires but the law and the Constitution. The chief justice adjourned hearing for August 20 and directed the JIT head to submit a comprehensive report on the investigation of the case.
