The PTI’s insistence on nominating a serving major-general in the First Information Report (FIR) of party Chairman Imran Khan’s assassination attempt has created an impasse which has led to the FIR not being registered even on Sunday, three days after the occurrence of the incident in Wazirabad. It is no coincidence that the DG ISPR had reacted specifically to the allegation made by Mr Khan in his address to the nation, made from a hospital bed, and had called them unacceptable and uncalled-for. Though a complainant has every right to register an FIR according to his wishes, there must be some semblance of evidence other than the victim’s say-so. Mr Khan claims to have recorded a video detailing his evidence; that would be useful to the police investigations. If indeed the PTI thinks the major-general is involved, it should provide the police some information, such as when the conspiracy is alleged to have taken place. If the perpetrator had named anyone, he could have been arrested, the way those who sold the weapon have been, but as he says he acted on his own, some other evidence is required.
One of the defects of not filing the FIR is that the defence will make great play with this at the future trial. That is another practical reason to leave out the namw od alleged conspirators, for their acquittal will heighten the chances of the attacker being released. The failure to register an FIR may even mean the police may have to turn loose the accused, because the absence of an FIR means they have not been able to present him before a magistrate. The police is further hampered by Mr Khan’s refusal to report to s government hospital for the medico-legal examination necessary for the FIR. One casualty that has already occurred is that crime scene has been neither preserved nor recorded. Even a moderately competent defence lawyer will have a field day with these delays.
The Long March is due to resume on Tuesday, and to take 10 to 14 days to reach Rawalpindi. Mr Khan will not be with it, but the security measures sao glaringly missing, because of which Mr Khan was attacke, will now be taken. It does not reflect well on the Punjab government, that while it is composed of PTI ministers, the Chief Minister belongs to the PML(Q), not only is the PTI chief attacked with a firearm, but ,has not been able to register an FIR so far.
