Sahiwal encounter: LHC seeks assistance on plea to form judicial commission

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday directed a state counsel to assist it in determining whether it can constitute a judicial commission to probe into the Sahiwal incident, ARY News reported.

A high court bench headed by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan was hearing a petition seeking a judicial probe into a shady encounter in Sahiwal where four people, including parents and their teenage daughter were killed.

“How can a chief justice alone form a judicial commission,” asked Justice Khan. “The provincial government in consultation with the chief justice [of the high court] can form a judicial commission. Section 3 of the Inquiries and Tribunal Act is clear on this matter,” he explained.

He directed the provincial government’s lawyer to provide assistance in determining whether the court could form a judicial commission in light of the Act.

The petitioner contended before the court that a fair and transparent probe should be conducted into the incident as the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed by the government to probe into the matter won’t be able to bring to light true facts.

Khalil, a resident of Kot Lakhpat, Lahore, his wife Nabeela and their 13-year-old daughter Areeba were killed in the firing on their car by the counterterrorism department (CTD) personnel on a highway in the Qadirabad area of Sahiwal district on Jan 19.