Finding the missing Rani

By Zabe Azkar Hussain Karachi Two years have been passed but there are still no clues about the whereabouts of Shagufta Rani, wife of Qasier Sagheer Alam, who had claimed that his wife was kidnapped by Inspector Pervez Iqbal and others on May 24, 2005. Since then, Alam has moved heaven and earth to get his wife recovered. The woeful story of Alam began when he contracted court marriage to his beloved Rani in Karachi. However, the latter�s family did not approve of this match. It is alleged that the family used negative tactics against the young couple and influential family members backed by police officer, Iqbal, not only kidnapped Rani, but later claimed that she was killed. The case of the kidnapping of Rani was first exposed by the Citizens Police Liaison Committee (CPLC). The CPLC gathered all the necessary proof confirming the marriage and then took some legal measures to protect the right to life of the illegally detained Rani, who was believed to be held in Jhelum. Ironically, when the CPLC directed the police officer concerned not to back the violators of the law and produce Rani within two days or face criminal charges, the inspector ignored him and instead threatened Alam and his relatives with dire consequences. The CPLC believed that Iqbal had kidnapped Rani on May 24, 2005 from Karachi and rushed her to Jhelum. When the CPLC asked him to explain his actions, he first aksed for one week and then later presented a fake �Nikahnama� showing that Rani was already married to some other person. The CPLC then investigated the matter and came to a conclusion that Iqbal had allegedly misguided it and prepared a fake Nikahnama in order to victimise Alam and his family members. According to Alam, the day he married Rani in court and reached his uncle�s house, suddenly Iqbal along with another man appeared and started attacking the couple. The two armed men had taken Alam�s father hostage. According to Alam, they had tortured his father and brought him (by air) to Karachi to show the way to his house. Alam further alleged that the FIA Inspector snatched his NIC and other documents and also kidnapped his wife. What is unfortunate is that Alam tried to get a case lodged in the Aziz Bhatti Police Station and Shara-e-Faisal Police Station, but both stations refused to do so on the grounds that the registration of the case was �beyond their jurisdiction.� Alam kept on pursuing the case and his counsel Advocate Abid Akram also moved legal applications as a result of which the Aziz Bhatti police registered the case against the kidnappers. Later on a police party headed by investigation officer, Raja Ashraf went to the Punjab to nab the kidnappers. However, one of the accused Asghar fled and could not be arrested, whereas a maternal uncle of Rani, Zafar Iqbal, was taken into custody. Zafar surprisingly recorded a confessional statement that he had killed Rani. The police kept him under detention for a few days and then released him. Alam claims that because the police was bribed, they did not arrest Iqbal and at the same time released Zafar illegally. Another tragic aspect of the matter was the promotion of the accused Iqbal who despite being nominated in a kidnapping case was later promoted to DSP. After becoming DSP, he again targeted Alam, his cousin, Mohammad Talat, his brother Mohammad Nasir and some other family members by threatening with dire consequences. When contacted, Inspector Iqbal rejected all allegations saying �I am not involved in any kidnapping and I don�t know any thing about the �nikah� or the �nikahnama� and did not touch anybody including Alam, his father or Rani.� According to the despondent Alam, he, his parents and other family members had to face severe victimisation due to his marriage and the police in Karachi and Punjab kept on protecting the culprits under a so-called legal cover. He said he was still determined to find his wife, regardless of the fact that he is unable to bear the huge fees of his lawyers. According to Alam, there were a lot of lawyers who assured him of full assistance, but demanded huge sums in the name of fees. Hence, he had moved an application to the HRCP representatives who might take up the case on humanitarian grounds.