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.

The applicant submitted that he was implicated in a false case which gravely damaged his repute and career as well. He said he got his medical education from Royal College Surgeon of UK and had been serving in medical profession for the last 40 years. He said in 2005 when he was serving at Mayo Hospital as a surgeon an earthquake victim from Muzaffarabad namely Ajeeba Jabeen was admitted to the hospital. Dr Maqsood contended that he was arrested on the charges of committing rape with the said girl and sent to jail. Later, the Supreme Court on the statement of victim girl declared him innocent and acquitted him of the charges.

He said then CM on strong recommendations of former health minister ordered his arrest and registration of the case.

The applicant said that he had taken up the matter with then MS of the hospital Dr Fayyaz Ahmad Ranjha, health minister Dr Tahir Ali Javed, secretary health Javed Malik and additional secretary health Imdad Bosal but no action was taken.

He said almost all the political figures of previous and present governments scandalised his case by giving false statements in media.

The applicant prayed to the court to initiate criminal proceedings against all these persons and directed them to pay Rs 4,800 million as damages.

Dr Maqsood was prosecuted in 2005 on the charges of raping quake survivor Ajeeba, 19, who was brought to Mayo Hospital for treatment. The then government lodged a case against Dr Maqsood. However, no charge could be established in the court after the case was heard.

Ajeeba alleged in December 2005, in a written statement, that she had been raped by the surgeon treating her for injuries she had suffered during the quake. The doctor was arrested and brought to trial amid a great deal of publicity. During the period of his trial, Ajeeba, somewhat mysteriously, retracted the rape charges, maintaining she had been "tricked" into signing the statement by a newspaper reporter. She was also apparently whisked away from the hospital ward by a local cleric, who claimed Ajeeba was his close relative. She was produced in the court only after a delay of several days.

Police had arrested Dr Maqsood on the orders of then Punjab CM Ch Pervaiz Elahi who also suspended Mayo Hospital medical superintendent Dr Fayyaz Ranjha for "hiding facts".

The then Punjab health minister Dr Tahir Ali Javed had ordered an additional inquiry into the incident.

Then CJ Supreme Court Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had also taken suo moto notice of the incident but later the girl denied before a magisterial court that Dr Maqsood had raped her.

Online adds: The leader of Opposition in National Assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has expressed his ignorance about being summoned by any additional session judge in Lahore.

While denying any knowledge about non-bailable arrest warrants by the court against him, he said he would look into the matter after he received any such summons.