According to a report in Dawn, individuals and organisations associated with the progressive platform assembled outside the Lahore Press Club to voice their concerns about the increasing incidents of custodial torture and deaths.
The demonstrators carried banners with slogans calling for a stop to custodial torture and deaths along with illegal detentions. The protesters also called for police to fulfill their duties of protecting the masses.
Protesters also called for the authorities to pay heed to the charter of demands put forth by the family of Salahuddin.
The demands put forth by Salahuddin’s family include appointment of a high-ranking investigation officer, preferably the inspector general, and completion of the inquiry into Salahuddin’s death in 14 days from the registration of the First Information Report. The demands also include the prosecution of the murder accused under the anti-terrorism act with an additional prosecutor general working full time on the case.
The participants of the protest gathering also proposed a revision of Police Rules, 1934, to eradicate the culture of torture during investigations, and that victims of custodial death should receive compensation at the ratio offered to policemen who are martyred while fulfilling their duties.
Moreover, the demonstrators have called the provincial government to enact a law against police torture, and also demanded that the federal government should pass the ‘Torture, Custodial Death & Custodial Rape (Prevention & Punishment) Act’.
Furthermore, the demonstrators contended that Islamabad should ratify the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention Against Torture.