Senate panel on human rights expresses concern over Salahuddin's death

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights Thursday expressed concern over the death of Salahuddin Ayubi, a suspected ATM robber, in the custody of Punjab police, reported ARY News.

The committee met here today with Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar in the chair.

Khokhar expressed displeasure over Punjab police chief Captain (retd) Arif Nawaz’s no-show at the meeting.

Expressing concern over Salahuddin’s death, he said the entire country has been looking towards the IG Punjab whose absence in today’s meeting was, what the senator described, unfortunate and questioned do the police consider themselves above Parliament.

Khokhar said their heads hanged in shame at the incident and added more such incidents are coming to the fore across the province of late.

He was of the view that the IGP’s explanation before the panel would have created a good impression.

Salahuddin had died owing to alleged severe torture by police during interrogation.

He was arrested when he was recognised by security officials in Rahim Yar Khan after the video of him attempting to steal from the ATM and sticking his tongue out at the camera went viral.

Yesterday, his family didn’t appear before a judge carrying out a judicial inquiry into his custodial death.

A lawyer, representing the parents of the deceased, said they had rejected an autopsy report of their son and moved an application for the exhumation of the body for post-mortem afresh.

A senior civil judge, Shaikh Fayaz Hussain, has launched a probe into the death of the viral ATM thief.

SHO Mahmoodul Hassan and investigation officers Sub-Inspector Shafaat Ali and Assistant Sub-Inspector Matloob Hussain were accused of killing Ayubi during interrogation.