HARIPUR (Bureau Report): The Senate’s Functional Committee on Human Rights has taken notice of a complaint filed by Haripur journalist Shahid Akhtar Awan regarding alleged harassment, torture and illegal actions by the Haripur District Police and has sought a comprehensive report from the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Hazara.
According to documents, the Senate Secretariat, on the instructions of Senator Samina Mumtaz Zehri, Chairperson of the Functional Committee on Human Rights, issued a letter bearing U.O. No. F.28(1)/2024-27/C-I on July 10, 2026, seeking a complete report on the matter from the Inspector General of Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Copies of the letter were also sent to the DIG Hazara Division and other relevant authorities.
According to the complaint, journalist Shahid Akhtar Awan, who has been publishing news reports concerning corruption and malpractice in the public interest, was booked in FIR No. 665 at City Police Station Haripur under Sections 500, 506 and 25-D of the Pakistan Penal Code. The complainant maintains that he was subjected to alleged torture, mental harassment and inappropriate treatment during his detention, while his vehicle has remained in police custody since October 17, 2025, despite bail having been granted.
Shahid Akhtar Awan further maintains that, at different times, he submitted written applications to the District Police Officer (DPO) Haripur, the SP Investigation Haripur and the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Hazara, seeking to prove his innocence in the case registered against him and to ensure a transparent investigation. The applications requested an independent inquiry, a review of the available evidence and a decision based on the facts.
However, according to him, no effective action or formal inquiry has been conducted on these applications to date. Following this, he brought the matter before the Senate’s Functional Committee on Human Rights in an effort to seek justice.
The Senate Secretariat’s letter directed the Inspector General of Police, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to submit to the committee, at the earliest possible opportunity, a detailed report covering the background to the registration of the case, the circumstances under which the FIR was registered, the action taken on the complaints received, the reasons for any failure to take action, and the steps taken or proposed to prevent such incidents in the future.
The letter further stated that the report received would be reviewed by the Chairperson of the Functional Committee on Human Rights, while the matter would also be included in the agenda of the committee’s next meeting.