SC gives IG Punjab 4 days to arrest journalist's killer

LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Saturday directed the Punjab police chief to ensure within four days the arrest of the culprit behind the murder of journalist Zeeshan Butt in Sialkot.

A bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, was hearing a suo motu case pertaining to the murder of the journalist in Punjab’s Sialkot district.

Zeeshan Butt, who was associated with a Lahore-based newspaper, was allegedly killed by a union council chairman of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) within the jurisdiction of Begowala police station on March 27.

Suspect Begowala Union Council Chairman Aslam Cheema is at large since the registration of a murder case against him.

During the course of hearing, IG Punjab Arif Nawaz Khan pleaded for a week’s time to bring the culprit involved in the murder of the journalist to justice.

The bench turned down his plea for more time and directed him to ensure the arrest within four days.

The chief justice came down hard on the police chief over failure of the police department to arrest the killer, asking him if he was associated with any political party. Upon this, the IG replied that the suspected murderer belonged to the ruling PML-N.

To a query, he informed that the suspect’s name had already been placed on the Exit Control List (ECL).