MARDAN: Police and other law enforcement agencies have failed to establish the identity of a suspect involved in a tragic road accident, which left an official of health department killed and another person injured.

Mohammad Tahir, an official at the health facility in Katlang, was killed when he was hit by a car in mysterious manner on April 10, 2015 while coming back from his duty place to his home in Mardan. The driver of the car, while trying to escape, hit another person identified as Faisal Khan, eyewitnesses said.

However, the driver was caught by the angry mob on the spot. He was identified as Noorullah, son of Badam Gul, a resident of Mardan. An FIR was lodged against him at Jabar police station.

Jamal Habib Khan, a police official who is investigating the case, told this scribe that the suspect was arrested and he was thoroughly investigating the case. However, relatives of the deceased and injured alleged that the suspect might get bail owing to poor investigation. `The rash and reckless driving of the driver has not been investigated professionally by the investigation officer concerned,` they alleged.

They said that ostensibly the driver didn`t posses any Computerised National Identity Card and driving licence.

`The investigating officer deliberately concealed the identity of the suspect and basic facts of the case from the local court, which has rejected his first bail application,` said Shah Faisal, a relative of the deceased. Official sources confirmed that the suspect was a foreign national. However, it was not made part of the investigation.

`Yes, it`s quite true that he was unable to establish his Pakistani nationality. Actually the suspect is living in England claiming to be an Afghan asylum seeker. That is the reason that he has no Pakistani documents. But we will add these additional information while closing the case,` they said.

According to sources, the driver has come to Pakistan from England on a visit visa and was rushing in the car towards Katlang area, which is a volatile region and is considered a hub of Taliban supporters, along with a mysterious person, who disappeared after the road mishap. `This exposes the failure of the state institutions vis-a-vis organised crimes committed by foreign nationals by violating law,` they added.

According to sources, the alleged foreign national was driving a Japanese manufactured Vitz vehicle bearing Islamabad registration number UH-282 to Katlang area without valid travel and vehicle documents. The car registration record shows that Sued Usman Shah, son of Sued Mohammad Share, whose CNIC number is 1730114829387 is owner of the car. However, Nadra data the CNIC belongs to Syed Usman Shah, son of Syed Mohammad Nawab Shah. `Instead of taking the driver to task, the investigation officer tampered with the evidence, depriving the victim families of justice and providing protection to the suspicious foreign national, whose identity is yet to be ascertained,` said Mr Faisal.

Sources said that CNICs were issued to Afghans and other foreign nationals in the past without adequate verification.

`Resultantly, support by foreign nationals to Taliban inside Pakistan continues unabated. Frequent attacks on polio workers in the province have already stigmatised the image of the country,` they added.

The suspect has no valid Pakistani CNIC as the case file, jail record and police are silent about it. The cellular phone number being used by the suspect has been issued to CNIC number 17201124563027. The cellular company data shows that its subscriber is a resident of Jalozai in Nowshehra while his details are given in the voter list as block code: 101010709, silsila number: 19, polling station, Government Boys High School Faqirabad, district Attock, Punjab.

Sources said that the father of the suspect was currently residing somewhere in Afghanistan. The members of the aggrieved family demanded free and fair investigation into the incident, fearing that the suspect might leave the country before conclusion of the case.Correspondent