JIT holds CTD responsible for Sahiwal killings: Punjab law minister
LAHORE (92 News) – Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat announced on Tuesday announced that the initial report of joint investigation team (JIT) has held officers of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) responsible for the killings of three members of the same family.
Speaking to the journalists after a high-level meeting on the Sahiwal incident, the minister said that the JIT report found no link between Khalil family and terrorism, and hold the CTD officials behind their tragic extra-judicial killings.
The law minister termed the Sahiwal alleged encounter as ‘100 percent correct’. He also said that the further investigation would be launched about the matter of Zeeshan, who already declared terrorist by the provincial government.
He said the head of the JIT had sought some time to complete the investigation to ascertain the facts about Zeeshan, one of the persons killed in the operation whom the officials have been terming as ‘terrorist’ since day one.
Punjab govt decides to remove top police officials
Raja Basharat said that the Punjab government has decided to remove several officers of the CTD upon recommendations of the investigation team.
The law minister said the CTD Additional IGP and the DIG Sahiwal had immediately been removed from his post, while DIG CTD and the SSP, who led the Sahiwal encounter, were suspended.
He also said that challan of five CTD officials will be presented before the anti-terrorism court (ATC) tomorrow (on Wednesday) and have been charged under Section 302 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
The minister said that the government will hold an in camera briefing tomorrow on the incident.
Basharat termed it as a ‘test-case’ for Punjab Government, and said that the government was committed to provide justice to the bereaved families. “In past, people used to wait for years to get justice, but the current government would provide justice to the victims”, he said.
JIT submits initial report
The JIT probing the incident in which four people were killed had submitted its preliminary report to the Punjab government. A high-level meeting headed by Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar was held to review the report.
Punjab minister Abdul Aleem Khan, provincial law minister Raja Basharat, the chief secretary and additional chief secretary for home, Punjab Inspector General of Police Amjad Javed Saleemi as well top officials from relevant agencies attended the meeting. Additional Inspector General (AIG) Ijaz Hussain Shah, who headed the JIT, was in attendance as well.
The deadline given to the JIT by Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has been expired. Talking to the media at the site, JIT chief Ijaz Shah said that they have not yet reached a conclusion. “We cannot give the report in two days. Six officials of the CTD are in custody. Statements of 3-4 witnesses have been recorded,” he added.
He said that the JIT had been formed under Article 80 A. “The results have to be given in 30 days.
Names of CTD personnel disclosed
On Monday, the names of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel – involved in an alleged encounter in Sahiwal – have been disclosed. According to reports, the CTD team was led by Sub-Inspector (SI) Safdar Hussain, whereas Ahsan, Muhammad Ramzan, Saifullah and Hasnain Akbar were also present in the team. The privy sources said that the JIT team interrogated the team lead and asked him why the personnel opened fire on car despite of stopping the car? Meanwhile, the CTD other team members also recorded their statements on the Sahiwal alleged encounter.FIR lodged against 16 CTD officers in Sahiwal incident
On Sunday, The first information report (FIR) against 16 unknown Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officials has been lodged under terrorism and murder sections at the Yousafwala police station. According to the details garnered, the FIR was lodged under 302 and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) on behalf of Khaleel’s brother Jaleel. In the FIR, ten officials were in uniform and six without uniform.Four, including two women, killed by CTD in Sahiwal
Earlier Jan 19, four people, including two women, were killed by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officials near toll plaza. A child was also injured in the cross-fire, while two remained unhurt. The injured has been shifted to hospital. The local police have expressed their ignorance about the incident.
The CTD spokesman claimed that a CTD team tried to stop a car and bike, but the car riders opened fire on them. He said that four people, including two women, were killed. “Three terrorists managed to escape and have been identified as Shahid Jabbar, Abdul Rehman and their accomplice. This was part of the operation in Faisalabad that took place on January 16,” he added.
He said that a killed terrorist has been identified, adding that the terrorists were traveling with the family to avoid the arrest. “It is a network of a banned organization who had killed three officers of the ISI in Multan and one in Faisalabad. Adeel Hafeez was killed in Faisalabad, while Zeeshan was killed in Sahiwal,” he disclosed.
The CTD spokesman claimed that the terrorists had kidnapped a US national and son of former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani. “These terrorists had killed several people and were involved in several firing and blast incidents,” he said.
He said that it was the most dangerous group of Daesh in Punjab.
Witnesses said that no resistance was shown from the car. They added that the security personnel opened fire on the car and killed four people. They said that the officials took away three children from the site.
The injured child said that they were going to their relatives in Burewala. “My father requested the policemen to get money and not open the fire at them. My father’s friend called Molvi was accompanying us,” he said.On the other hand, Prime Minister Imran Khan has taken notice of the Sahiwal incident and ordered to make the facts public. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar phoned the IGP Punjab and hold investigations into the incident.
