Sahiwal encounter '100 percent correct'; CTD officials responsible removed: Punjab law minister

LAHORE: Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat on Tuesday, while terming the Sahiwal encounter ‘100 percent correct’, said the initial investigation report by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) had held the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officials responsible for the loss of innocent lives in Sahiwal, ARY News reported.

The provincial law minister said that in light of the JIT report, Additional IGP of the CTD and the DIG Sahiwal were immediately being removed from their posts, while DIG and the SSP of CTD had been suspended.

He said five officers of the CTD would be produced before an anti-terrorism court and have been charged under Section 302 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

Basharat termed it as a ‘test-case’ for Punjab Government, and said that the government was committed to provide justice to the bereaved families.

“In past, people used to wait for years to get justice, but the current government would provide justice [to the victims]”, he said.

Basharat said the head of the JIT had sought some time to complete the investigation to ascertain the facts about Zeeshan, one of the persons killed in the operation whom the officials have been terming as ‘terrorist’ since day one.

He also said that the CTD officials were held responsible for Khalil and his family’s murder. The provincial law minister also informed that an in-camera briefing would be held tomorrow to inform the media about facts.

The minister further informed that the details about the car used by Khalil’s family would be revealed tomorrow.

On Saturday, January 19, CTD Punjab officials had opened fire on a car in Sahiwal. Due to heavy, indiscriminate firing, four including a child were killed.

The incident drew massive public outrage and the Punjab Government promised to investigate the matter and punish the culprits.

CTD had initially said the people killed were terrorists and the vehicle was full of explosives and suicide jackets.

However, video footages surfacing later in the day raised several questions on CTD’s version of the events, forcing the government to initiate an inquiry into the matter.

Sahiwal 'encounter' '100 percent correct'; CTD officials responsible removed: Punjab law minister

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