LHC asks officer’s name those ordered for Sahiwal operation
LAHORE (92 News) – The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday asked the names of officer those issued order for the Sahiwal police shootout.
A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan was hearing the case on formation of judicial commission on the Sahiwal incident.
The LHC chief justice expressed displeasure over absence of the inspector general of Punjab police (IGP). “Why he did not turn up despite being summoned, he asked.
“Tell me, who gave the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officials order to conduct the operation? Bring the record in which the CTD officer gave order for it,” the LHC ordered. “If the record was altered then everybody would be responsible for the consequences,” he added.
“Don’t beat about the bush, just tell us name of that officer,” the court asked from the state prosecutor. The prosecutor replied that those who conducted the Sahiwal operation were behind the bars.
The court said order was issued to not to conduct any such police encounter then how did it took place. The prosecutor said victim Khalil’s brother was called several times but he was not getting involved in the inquiry.
JIT informs LHC investigation conducted via camera footages, witnesses
The head of the joint investigation team (JIT) apprised the LHC that investigation was being carried forward with the help of surveillance camera footages and witnesses. “What benefit were the CCTV footages when you could not identify suspects through them,” the LHC said. Lawyer of the victim family Shehbaz Bukhari alleged the CTD officers were threatening and intimidating and they were pressurizing Khalil’s heirs to change their statements against them.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.
