Chief Justice takes suo motu notice of police encounters in Punjab

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Sunday took a suo motu notice of staged police encounters in Punjab.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court was hearing the suo motu case regarding the prevailing civic-issues in the province including provision of unsafe drinking water and security barricades.

During the proceedings, Justice Nisar directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab to submit a report within a week on the matter, which should encompass the total number of encounters and people killed in those incidents for last one year.

The suo motu notice on the incident has been taken at a time when media reports are making rounds on both print and social media pertaining to arrest of former cop Abid Boxer, who has been arrested by Interpol from Dubai Airport.

Boxer was infamous for the extrajudicial killings of suspected criminals and has been on the run for last 11 years.

Making a reaction to the suo motu notice, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry welcomed the development, as what he said, the PTI chief had already announced to approach the courts to demand a judicial commission over confessional statements made by the infamous cop.

As many as 137 people have been killed by police in staged encounters in District Kasur alone, he claimed.

Abid Boxer’s confessions

Earlier on Thursday, PTI chairman Imran Khan announced to approach the courts to uncover the Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s support to former police inspector Abid Boxer in numerous extrajudicial killings.

The PTI chairman alleged that the former cop killed people in staged encounters on directions of the Punjab Chief Minister.

“Boxer has previously admitted that he killed people in numerous fake encounters at behest of Shehbaz Sharif,” Khan then said.

The PTI chief said all the confessional statements by Boxer are on record, stating that he never killed anyone without consent of Shehbaz Sharif.

Khan said the fugitive had left the country after learning that Punjab Chief Minister was planning to kill him. “Is there a single extrajudicial killing incident took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [in recent year],” the PTI chairman asked.