LHC offers judicial inquiry into Sahiwal incident

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday offered a judicial inquiry into the killings of four people in Sahiwal on January 19, ARY News reported.

A two-member bench headed by LHC Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan took petitions filed by Jalil and Ehtisham, the brothers of Khalil and Zeeshan respectively who were among those killed in the shootout.

The bench ordered the JIT, formed to probe the killings, to summon the eyewitnesses and record their statements and sought report from the government on decision regarding formation of a judicial commission within a week.

During the hearing of the petitions, the bench was apprised that accused named in the carnage are on physical remand while, statement of ASI Muhammad Abbas has been recorded.

Jalil’s lawyers told the bench that Umair Khalil is their important witness, but his statement was not been recorded yet.

Read more: Second plea filed in LHC to form Sahiwal shootout judicial commission

Chief Justice LHC Sardar Muhammad Shamim, told Jalil’s lawyer that if the victim family wishes, the court can order a judicial inquiry into the incident.

The hearing of the case was later adjourned for a week.

Four people, including two women, were killed in a shady encounter involving the Punjab CTD in the Qadirabad area of Sahiwal district on Jan 19.

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