Quake victim rape case: Arrest warrants for Pervaiz, Fazl, others

LAHORE - A district court hearing a Qazf case on Wednesday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for eleven persons including former chief minister Punjab Ch Pervaiz Elahi, former chief secretary Punjab Salman Siddiqui, JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PPP Information Secretary Punjab Farzana Raja.

The other persons included: former additional secretary Haji Nawaz Khokhar, former MPA Saba Sadiq, former secretary health Javed Malik, former SSP Operations Lahore Amir Zulfiqar and Prof Mumtaz Hussain of King Edward College.

District and Sessions Court Judge Muhammad Masood Bukhsh Hashmi has ordered the Inspector General of Police Punjab to produce all the above-mentioned persons in the court on July 25.

Meanwhile, MS Mayo Hospital Fayyaz Ranjha, Maulana Muhammad Akram of Jamia Ashrafia, Prof Majeed Hussain of Ganga Ram Hospital, former health minister Tahir Ali Javed and former MPA Rubina Sulehri appeared before the court on Wednesday.

The judge issued these orders on a writ petition filed by Dr Maqsood Hussain for initiating Qazf (accusation of rape against someone) proceeding under Hudood laws. The court had summoned these people but they failed to make appearance on previous hearings

Under Qazf law, if allegations of Zina (raping) are proved, the accused could be punished with whipping numbering up to 80 stripes or two years imprisonment.