MLO of Polyclinic Hospital removed for delaying Farishta's autopsy

ISLAMABAD: The government has removed the Polyclinic Hospital’s Medico-legal Officer (MLO) Dr Abid Shah for delaying an autopsy of 10-year-old girl, Farishta, who was murdered after being kidnapped in Islamabad.

Sources relayed Dr Imtiaz Ahmed has been appointed as a new medico-legal officer of the hospital.

Dr Abid Shah was removed in the wake of a protest by the victim girl’s legal heirs against the hospital administration for delaying her post-mortem.

According to post-mortem report, the girl was subjected to sexual abuse before being murdered.

Earlier, on May 22, Prime Minister Imran Khan, while taking notice of the incident, ordered action against police officials for being remiss in the alleged rape and murder case of a 10-year-old girl, Farishta, in Islamabad.

According to a statement issued from the Prime Minister office, the premier ordered booking concerned station house officer (SHO) and other relevant police officials.

“It is a failure of system that police staff forced the children of affected family to clean their offices. Departmental proceedings be initiated against the perpetrators and finalised expeditiously,” the statement said.

“Police claims that SOPs have been created for crimes against children after Kasur incident. The said SOPs were found to be inoperative / deficient in this case,” it observed, ordering the inspector general (IG) and deputy inspector general (DIG) to furnish an explanation,” the statement, a copy of which was sent to the interior secretary, read.

It added, “IG and DIG to explain as to why no system was in place to highlight child-related crimes and also explain the overall failure of system to affect speedy justice to the bereaved family.”

“The prime minister has further directed that daily updates on progress on the above directives and investigations be submitted for information of the prime minister,” the statement read.