Abdul Razzaq

Background

Abdul Razzaq was a serial killer and rapist of elderly women in Ahmedpur East.

The offence

District police Bahawalpur alleged that Abdul Razzaq sexually molested and tortured five elderly women. A chemical examiner’s report contradicted the district police claims: in all five chemical reports of the victims, no semen was detected, and no marks of violence were found on the dead bodies of the five elderly women whose postmortems were carried out by Dr Asifa Shikrani. An anti-terrorism court found Abdul Razzaq guilty on twelve counts. The court sentenced him to die after his admission of guilt. A police official said Razzaq raped a number of women and choked at least eight of them to death in the Ahmedpur East village. Officials said they did not explain the mental health of the convict, but prosecution said he targeted older women. Prosecution said that in 2001 Razzaq abducted, raped and murdered seven aged women in two months. Dawn.com.pk stated that Abdul Razzaq was involved in abduction, murder and rape of six women, and that he was acquitted in the seventh case.

Investigation

An apparent contradiction arose between the chemical examiner’s report and the district police claims. The chemical examiner’s reports had been provided to Medical Superintendent (MS) Tehsil Headquarter Civil Hospital Ahmedpur East Dr Mohammad Baqar Khan.

Other details

Medical Superintendent (MS) Tehsil Headquarter Civil Hospital Ahmedpur East Dr Mohammad Baqar Khan responded to Daily Times. He said:

“In all five chemical reports of the victims no semen was detected. Similarly no marks of violence were found on the dead bodies of the five elderly women, whose postmortems was carried out by Dr Asifa Shikrani.”

The convictions included multiple counts and were handled by an anti-terrorism court in Bahawalpur. Abdul Razzaq, 45, was described by a police official as a resident of Chacha Bast near Ahmedpur East. The people were scared because Ahmedpur East police took a long time to nab the accused.

Arrest

Abdul Razzaq was produced before newsmen by the district police officer (DPO) Bahawalpur at a press conference on Friday.

Trial

The case was tried by the ATC. An anti-terrorism court presiding officer Muhammad Akram Khan handed down sentence on Thursday in April 2006. The anti-terrorism court presiding officer Muhammad Akram Khan sentenced Abdul Razzaq to death on 12 counts and also to 42-year imprisonment, according to Dawn.com.pk. A judge sentenced Razzaq to die following his admission of guilt after he was found guilty on twelve counts. The Daily Times newspaper reported that a convict confessed that he killed eight women after raping them, quoting an unnamed official. Dawn.com.pk reported that Razzaq was acquitted in the seventh case. Officials said Abdul Razzaq could appeal against the ruling at a higher court.

Sentencing

Sentencing included:

• Death sentence on 12 counts.
• 42-year imprisonment (reported by Dawn.com.pk).
• The acquittal in the seventh case (reported by Dawn.com.pk).

Outcome

Abdul Razzaq was sentenced to death in April 2006. He was acquitted in the seventh case.

Victims

His victims included Manzoor Elahi, Jiwan Bibi, Sakina and Manzoor Bibi. Prosecution said the people were aged women and that he abducted, raped and murdered seven aged women in two months. A police official said at least eight women were choked to death. A total of five elderly women were referenced in the chemical examiner’s reports whose postmortems were carried out by Dr Asifa Shikrani.