Opinion Doctoring evidence?
A register of reports and views from the Pakistan press
Doctoring evidence?
Five foreign citizens,accused of being terrorists,were killed in Balochistans Kharotabad city,allegedly by the police,on May 17. And on December 28,the surgeon who performed the autopsy and declared that they died of police bullets and not their own grenades,was killed. His autopsy report had provided incriminating evidence against the Frontier Constabulary. The Express Tribune reported on December 29: The key witness to the Kharotabad incident,police surgeon Dr Syed Baqir Shah,was shot dead on Thursday afternoon while on his way home. Shah had carried out autopsies of five foreigners,including two women,one of whom was seven months pregnant,who were shot dead by security personnel in Kharotabad on the pretext of being terrorists on May 17.
Course correction
Despite the perception of friction between Pakistans civilian and military leaderships after the Memogate scandal,Pakistans prime minister reportedly reached out to the military this week. Daily Times reported on December 27: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani,who railed against the military establishment just a few days ago,softened his stance when he brushed aside all speculations that civilian and military leadership are on a warpath as well as rebuffed the speculation that the government has any plan to sack the top military leadership… We have no plan to sack Gen Kayani and Gen Pasha… He,in fact,went a step forward when he categorically stated that he was satisfied with the performances of both military leaders and remarked that generals were not sacked in a state of war a reference to Pakistans internal battle with militancy and extremism.
Drop the case
Meanwhile,Asma Jehangir,the counsel of sacked Pakistani ambassador to the US in the Memogate scandal,Hussain Haqqani,has adopted a tough demeanour not only against the government but also the security establishment. The News reported on December 29: Asma Jehangir… asked the Supreme Court to question DG ISI as to when and why he met Mansoor Ijaz. Requesting the court to leave the resolution of the Memogate scandal to a parliamentary investigation,Jehangir insisted on questioning the army and ISI chiefs on the propriety of their meeting with Ijaz,The Express Tribune reported on December 29: If the court wouldnt abandon the memo case,it should be prepared to question not just the civilians,but also the khakis,warned Jehangir… The entire affair smacks of foul play,Jehangir argued,as she attempted to convince the court to abandon the case in favour of a probe by an NA panel. The ISI chief left for London,without the prime ministers permission,to meet Mansoor Ijaz,who had been writing against the ISI for the past three years with impunity,Jehangir argued… The judges did not appear entirely convinced.
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