Musharraf's clearance in Lal Masjid case: complainant failed to provide evidence: IGP

Inspector General of Police (IGP) Sikandar Hayat on Thursday said that police have submitted incomplete challan of former president Pervez Musharraf in Ghazi Abdul Rasheed and his mother's murder case, as the complainant did not provide any solid evidence against the former president in the court.
Speaking at a press conference, he said that following the directives of Islamabad High Court (IHC), city police have registered a case against former president Musharraf for his alleged involvement in the murder of Ghazi Abdul Rasheed and his mother during Lal Masjdi operation in 2007. He said that a police team, headed by DIG (Headquarters), Khalid Mehmood Khattak, comprising SSP (Headquarters) Sajid Kayani and SP (Sadr Zone) Jamil Hashmi was constituted in consultation with complainant and his lawyer for the investigation of the case. The team has recorded the statement of accused and formally arrested him, he said.
Rejecting the impression that the police has declared Mushrraf innocent, he said that according to the basic principle of law onus or burden of proof lies on the shoulder of complainant, but Haroon Rasheed the complainant of the case did not provide solid evidence to police to which police submitted incomplete challan".
The IGP said that members of the team met with the complainant Haroon Rasheed son of Ghazi Abdul Rasheed. The police team requested Haroon Rasheed to provide all evidence, documentary proof, eyewitness and circumstantial evidence related to the incident to police, he added. IG said that as a result, Haroon Rasheed had given a list of 19 witnesses to police team. "Out of 19 witnesses only three people gave their statements to police while two have sent their written statements but did not appear before the investigation team", he maintained.
He said that not of a single witness from among 19 witnesses was the eyewitness of the incident. According to the investigation officers there was no evidence or proof provided by witness or complainant which can lead to submission of complete challan against Musharraf", he said. The investigation team has submitted incomplete challan in the court, as police were bound to submit challan within 14 days, he added.
However, he said it does not mean that the investigation of the case has been completed and it has been closed. If the complainant provided any concrete proof or evidence relating to the case, the police will look into the case without fear or favour, he said. To a question, he said that police team was not pressurised by any quarter and conducted the investigation independently.