Amal Umer case: Father calls for inquiry report to be made public

KARACHI:(Net news/ media 92 news) The aggrieved father of the slain 10-year-old Amal has called for the probe findings to be made public so that the culprits can be publicly named and shamed.

Amar Umer was killed by a stray bullet during an alleged police encounter with suspected robbers in Karachi’s DHA area on Independence Day eve. The bullet, as police officials admitted later, was fired by a constable who was aiming to shoot at a robber who had mugged Amal’s family a few minutes prior to the incident.

On September 18, the Chief Justice of Pakistan took notice of the incident and constituted a six-member committee to ascertain those responsible in the child’s death. The Supreme Court’s Karachi Registry is hearing the case today.

Amal’s father, ahead of today’s hearing, spoke to Geo Pakistan and demanded that the probe findings be made public so that the culprits are brought to the fore.

Thanking the Supreme Court for taking notice of the killing and shifting the case hearing to Karachi, Umer called for strict action against those responsible for the tragedy.

“[There are] many flaws in the system, there was negligence. We are hoping for strict action against [the culprits], to eradicate this negligence,” he said.

“People will follow rules only if there is accountability. Everything [all the report findings] should be shared with the public so that everyone knows [what happened]. There should be no closed-door inquiry.”

Umer expressed hope that the issue won’t fade out and the case will be taken to its logical conclusion.
When asked if he had contacted the Sindh government and Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Amal’s father said Bilawal himself had suffered as a result of the system’s failure.

“It’s time for action, whether it’s the Sindh government or the federal government that takes action,” he said.

Umer pointed out that even after more than two months, no lights or cameras have been installed at the traffic signal where the tragic shooting took place.