Islamabad court asks authorities to verify driving license of Kashmala Tariq's son

• Azlan Shah, Kashmala's son, files a bail request
• Court orders police to verify license submitted by the suspect
• Agreement with relatives of three of the four deceased has been reached, says the suspect's lawyer

ISLAMABAD: A court asked authorities to verify the license of former MNA Kashmala Tariq's son, after an accident he was involved in a few weeks ago claimed the lives of four persons. 

The son of Tariq, who is the Federal Ombudsperson for Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace, was involved in a traffic accident on February 2.

An interim bail hearing of Azlan Shah, Kashmala's son, was held by the District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Sohail. The suspect's lawyer told the court that they had reached an agreement with the relatives of three of the four people killed in the accident. 

Shah's lawyer argued before the court that since bailable provisions were included in the case registered against the suspect, he should be granted bail.

The government's attorney, on the other hand, opposed the bail request, saying that the suspect's license had not yet been verified. He further said that since an agreement had not been reached with the relatives of all four deceased, the bail request should be rejected. 

The judge ordered the police to verify the license submitted by the suspect and suspended proceedings until later in the day. 

The accident

Four people were killed after five speeding vehicles of the Federal Ombudsperson for the Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplaces Kashmala Tariq's protocol broke a signal and crashed into a car and motorcycle on the Srinagar Highway in Islamabad earlier this month. 

Police had confirmed that the former MNA's protocol vehicles broke the sector G-11 traffic signal and collided with two vehicles, killing four people and injuring two others.

One of the vehicles bore a government number plate, police had disclosed. Tariq's husband and son were also in one of the vehicles.

Police had shifted Tariq's husband Waqas Khan to the Ramna Police Station, while her son and others in the convoy had allegedly fled the scene.

A police spokesperson said action will be taken against those responsible in accordance with the law.

Kashmala Tariq denies accusations

Kashmala Tariq, in a video message, denied that she and her family fled the scene, adding that they had remained at the site of the accident until the arrival of the ambulances to help the injured and the deceased. 

The former MNA had said her son was in the car behind hers, while she and her husband were in the same one. "This whole matter is being blamed on my son but the driver was unable to control the car.

"It was a terrible accident and I feel sadness in my heart for the children who lost their lives," she had said.

The former lawmaker had explained that everyone, including her son and her husband, had gone to the police station after the horrific crash in which her convoy was involved.

"Justice will be served but please don't unjustly drag anyone's child into the matter," she underscored, adding that neither she nor her family tried to escape the crash site. "In fact, we even called an ambulance ourselves," she added.

"We were travelling in two vehicles. We left Lahore around 7pm yesterday and crossed the toll plaza at around 10:30pm. My husband and I were in the same vehicle.

"As we reached the Kashmir Highway, we experienced a sudden shock and push and got injured. The driver was unable to control the car. It was a terrible accident," she stated.

Kashmala Tariq said she was upset over the loss of lives of the children who were in the car that her convoy hit.

"We have children ourselves too. There is no substitute for human lives," she had stressed.

"My son was in the car behind us... I don't understand what kind of media trial is this. The CCTV video of the accident should be shown.

"My son's pictures are being broadcast and shared everywhere when, in fact, he was riding in the car behind us. If, in any way, this was our fault or had we been driving, then we bring our hands together to apologise.

"I have no words. Please don't misreport and show only what's is true," Tariq had added.