Pakistan: Calls for ‘transparent probe’ grow in Swiss woman’s kidnapping case
Islamabad, July 6 (IANS) An independent and transparent investigation must be conducted without the use of any influence in the kidnapping case of a Swiss national in Lahore, a report has mentioned as allegations surfaced about the involvement of Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar’s relative in the incident.
“Influence must not be used to protect any individual from accountability,” a report in The Times of Israel stated.
Swiss national Sofia Maria Miller was allegedly kidnapped after landing in Pakistan’s Lahore. She was recovered by the local police, last month.
US Army Veteran and human rights activist, Mansoor Hussain Laghari, stated that he was born in Pakistan’s Sindh and is aware of reality of a system where power, politics, and connections have too often influenced justice.
“My own family experienced the consequences of standing against injustice. My father spent his life defending minorities, peasants, and the voiceless — and paid a heavy price. The world has seen these failures before,” Laghari wrote in The Times of Israel.
The report mentioned about the kidnapping and killing of American journalist Daniel Pearl in Pakistan in 2002. Twenty years later, Pakistan’s Supreme Court ordered the release of men convicted in kidnapping and killing Pearl, including Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh.
“To many around the world, it was a devastating message: even one of the most internationally recognised terrorism cases could end without the accountability many expected. That destroyed trust. Justice cannot depend on political pressure. Justice cannot depend on who your father or grandfather is. Justice cannot depend on whether a case receives international attention,” wrote Laghari in The Times of Israel.
“According to police, Sofia Maria Miller arrived in Lahore from the United States on a Turkish Airlines flight. Concerns over her disappearance arose shortly after she reached Lahore Airport. Following a complaint lodged by her Nepali husband, Sarwar Road Police registered a kidnapping case and launched an investigation,” leading Pakistani daily The News International reported on June 2.
“According to the spokesperson for the DIG (Operations), preliminary investigations suggest that the woman may have fallen victim to fraudulent tour operators. Police have widened the scope of the investigation to determine all facts and circumstances surrounding the incident,” it added.
–IANS
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