LHC moved against CTD officials involved in Sahiwal incident

LAHORE: A petition has been filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking action against the officials of Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) for being involved in an alleged encounter in Sahiwal on Jan 19. 

According to a petition, filed by Advocate Safdar Shaheen Pirzada, the CTD officials have no such right to open fire in public at citizens, who do not posses any firearms.

“The car riders could have been caught alive, however, owing to untrained officers, four people were killed in the incident, ” the petition maintained.

The petitioner prayed that strict legal action should be taken against cops responsible for the tragedy.

Alleged encounter

Four people, including two women, were killed in a shady encounter involving the Punjab police’s counter-terrorism department (CTD) on a highway in the Qadirabad area of Sahiwal district on Jan 19.

The Sahiwal incident sent shock waves across the country after one of the surviving children who witnessed the episode refuted the version of the CTD.

A child, Omair Khalil, in his initial statement said his father offered money to the people in return for not shooting at their car.

The CTD had identified one of the deceased as Zeeshan. The department says he was wanted in several cases of crime, including the kidnapping of Ali Haider Gilani, the son of former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani, and several American citizens. It also says he was the deputy chief of a banned outfit.