Punjab govt to introduce legislation on matter of custodial deaths

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar has directed the Additional Chief Secretary Home to legislate on the matter of deaths under the custody of the police. 

It was stated by Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat in a media talk on Saturday alongside the father of Salahuddin, who had allegedly died from severe torture by police in Rahim Yar Khan on Sep 1.

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The delegation of lawyers, who accompanied Salahuddin’s father Afzaal in a meeting with the chief minister, also proposed to the provincial government to adopt a framework for cases related to custodial deaths, the minister told the media. In the same view, the CM has asked the Additional Chief Secretary Home to initiate legislation on the matter, Basharat said.

“When we will receive the legislation, we will get it passed from the [provincial] assembly too,” the law minister assured.

He also affirmed that all demands put forth by Salahuddin’s family, during their meeting with the Governor Punjab a day earlier, will also be fulfilled after Governor Ghulam Sarwar’s orders.

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“We have assured the family that our government will never tolerate such a situation in the province, and will always stand with masses, not with the police.”

It must be recalled that Salahuddin was arrested when he was recognised by security officials in Rahim Yar Khan last Friday, after the video of him attempting to steal from the ATM and sticking his tongue out at the camera went viral on the social media.

He had passed away the next day while he was in police custody.