Senate committee directs police to take E-11 torture case to logical end

ISLAMABAD – The Senate Standing Committee on Interior Wednesday directed the Islamabad Police to take the case of torture and sexual harassment of a couple, whose video had gone viral on social media, to its logical end. 

The committee held under the chair of Senator Mohsin Aziz asserted that “an example must be set in the case” to avoid such incidents in future. It also said that penalties awarded to the culprits must be publicised so that “deterrence is created among the masses.”   DIG (Operations) Police in Islamabad Afzaal Ahmad Kausar while giving a briefing told the committee that a joint special instigation team under the anti-rape law had been formed to investigate the case and the culprits have been booked under those laws whose punishment is either life imprisonment or death sentence. The victim couple was hesitant to reveal their identity which makes the case tricky, he said adding that trial in the case would be held in camera to take the case to its logical end soon. But some examination reports are still awaited from some laboratories, he also said. He said that the police have arrested main accused Usman Mirza along with the seven other accomplices.  FIA’s Director Cyber Crime in Islamabad Muhammad Jaffer told the committee that the video about torture and sexual harassment of the couple in Islamabad had gone viral from 26 different places. The committee questioned why the authorities did not move to ensure that this video did not go viral and should be removed from social media.   Senator Sarfraz Bugti remarked that cybercrime had become a big issue in the country and they needed a briefing in detail on it.   The meeting commenced with details of an untoward incident that took place on July 12 when a man was seen wielding weapons in front of Parliament House.  The committee asserted that this was a major security lapse and regular snap checks must be conducted to ensure that no such incident is repeated in the future.   

Article source: https://nation.com.pk/15-Jul-2021/senate-committee-directs-police-to-take-e-11-torture-case-to-logical-end