Sonia refuses to appear before judicial tribunal

ISLAMABAD—Sonia Naz didn’t appear before one-member enquiry tribunal headed by a District and Session Judge set up for the investigation of her case, which went into its maiden session here. Sonia Naz’s lawyers Jam Nisar Baloch, Saleem Jahangir Chattha and Tahir Khalil Sindhu appearing on her behalf submitted an application stating that their client, Sonia Naz was unable to appear, as she was engaged in pursuing her case in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
On the other hand, Arshad Waraich and Chaudhry Saeed advocates appeared on behalf of the accused police officers, Abdullah Khalid and Jamshed Chishti, when the former was also present in person and the later came after the proceedings of the court had ended. District and Session Judge, Abdul Waheed Khan on this occasion also enquired from DSP Rashid Malik, who was assigned to bring Sonia from Lahore to Faisalabad, as to why Sonia Naz didn’t appear before the tribunal.
Replying to the query, DSP city circle, Chaudhry Rashid stated that he had gone to the office of an NGO ‘Dastak’ located in Masal town to meet Sonia Naz, where as regards to her appearing in the tribunal, she advised me meeting her lawyer, Aasma Jahangir, who on contact, told that necessary legal documents were being prepared in this connection and Sonia Naz’s lawyers would appear on her behalf in the court of District and Session Judge tomorrow (Monday). Later, the District and Session Judge, while ordering for appearance of Sonia Naz in person in the tribunal tomorrow, directed DPO Faisalabad, Amin Venice to provide security, accommodation and other facilities to her and then adjourned the hearing until tomorrow at 9 A. M.
ISLAMABAD: The Senate Human Rights Committee took up the Sonia Naz case and asked the government to address the concerns expressed by the rape victim Sonia Naz against the one member Inquiry Tribunal set up by the Punjab government. Sonia Naz had refused to appear before the Judicial inquiry tribunal comprising of District and Sessions Judge Faisalabad Abdul Wahid Khan saying that the judge is a close relative of the prime accused Jamshed Chishti and therefore she had no hope of getting justice from the said Tribunal. Today’s meeting of the Human Rights Committee was requisitioned by three members of the Committee namely Senators Farhatullah Babar, Sardar Latif Khosa and Dr Muhammad Said.—Agencies