The committee set up to investigate the death of Amal Umar, who passed away after being hit by a bullet shot by a police officer during an encounter last year, submitted its report in the Supreme Court on Thursday, a private TV channel reported.
The report was submitted by a six-member committee, which includes AD Khawaja, the former inspector-general of Sindh police, and is headed by Justice (r) Khilji Arif Hussain.
According to the report, National Medical Centre (NMC), where Amal was taken to, refused to take responsibility for the death of the 10-year-old. The hospital also changed the date and time of Amal’s death. “The hospital did not give proper medical equipment to transfer the wounded child and even lied to the committee,” the report said. “NMC also changed the date and time of her death so that it could be proved that the child was dead on arrival at the hospital.”
On August 13, 2018, Amal was killed when a policeman fired a bullet attempting to kill a robber, who had looted her family a few minutes earlier in Karachi’s Akhtar Colony area as they waited at a traffic light to attend a concert on the eve of Independence Day.
The report also stated that the Aman Foundation ambulance service had accepted its mistake. Advocate Faisal Siddiqui, who is part of the committee, told the court that the committee looked at the case from four different angles. “Police admitted its negligence and accepted that the police officer in question was handed the weapon without being given proper training,” he said.
The advocate added that the Sindh Health Commission submitted a report in favour of the hospital. On this, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar questioned if NMC should be given time to submit a reply to the report. To this, Siddiqi replied that they should be allowed to submit a response.
The apex court then directed Karachi Police, Sindh Health Commission, Aman Foundation and NMC to submit their replies to the inquiry report.
On September 18, 2018, Justice Nisar had taken notice of Amal’s death and ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the tragedy.
The case was then adjourned for 10 days.
Published in Daily Times, January 18th 2019.
