Pakistan : Islamabad Sub-Inspector remanded in custody; officials face consequences in children assault case

Islamabad [Pakistan], September 25 : The station house officer (SHO) of Karachi Company police station has been suspended, and departmental action has been initiated against him. Meanwhile, the station clerk (Moharrar) was dismissed for failing to address a complaint regarding a policeman who kidnapped two minors, unlawfully detained them, tortured them, and also raped them, according to police reports on Tuesday.
Additionally, the SHO of Shams Colony police station was suspended as well, but he was reinstated within hours. They added that the children were unlawfully detained at Shams Colony police station and sexually assaulted there, Dawn reported.
The SHO and station clerk of Shams Colony did not address the illegal detention and sexual assault occurring at the police station, officials stated. They also noted that the SHO and station clerk of Karachi Company police station failed to acknowledge the complaint lodged by the children's father.
The oversight of the Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Margalla and SP Saddar (the supervisory officer of Karachi Company police station), as well as SDPO Sabzi Mandi and SP Industrial Area (the supervisory officer of Shams Colony police station), was also scrutinised for not monitoring the police's refusal to acknowledge the complaint and for failing to act against the illegal activities occurring within a police facility.
The father of the children reported the incident to the police via their helpline on September 15 and subsequently filed a complaint at Karachi Company police station on September 18 after locating his children at Edhi Home.
However, the SHO and station clerk did not address the complaint and intentionally neglected to take appropriate action, reported Dawn.
The family subsequently created a video detailing the incident and shared it on social media platforms, which drew the attention of police officers, according to officials. They added that the father also reached out to a senior officer to file a complaint against the police for not addressing his concerns.
In response, DIG Syed Ali Raza carried out an inquiry and determined that both the policeman and the SHO of Karachi Company were guilty. Following his directives, the police filed a case against the sub-inspector (SI) and promptly sealed the FIR.
The officials, citing the FIR, stated that the complainant--the father of the children--was at PIMS with his younger eight-year-old son, who was admitted there. Following the death of his wife, he had also brought his two other children to the hospital.
On the evening of September 15, the two older children went to a nearby canteen to purchase juice but did not come back, according to the FIR. The complainant searched for them without success and subsequently reported their disappearance to the police via their helpline.
The FIR also mentioned that on September 18, the complainant discovered his two children at Edhi Home, where they revealed that the SI had abducted them from PIMS and taken them to Shams Colony police station in a vehicle, Dawn reported.
According to the FIR, the SI sexually assaulted them and held them at the police station for a full day and night, and later transported them to a dera at Golra Mor, where he assaulted them again.
He repeated the act in an area where a police vehicle observed him. Subsequently, he took the children to Edhi Home and entrusted them to its staff. After learning about his children's location, the complainant arrived there, according to the FIR.
The officials stated that following the arrest, the SI was brought before Judicial Magistrate West Islamabad Shahzad Khan, who was asked for a physical remand of seven days. In response, the magistrate granted police custody of the SI for four days to facilitate the investigation and gather evidence. He also instructed the police to present him again on September 28.