Wazirabad attack JIT: Punjab brushes aside Centre’s concerns

LAHORE: The Punjab government on Wednesday rejected the federal government’s concerns on the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed to probe the attack during Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) long march in Wazirabad.

Punjab Home Adviser Umer Sarfaraz Cheema said that the JIT has been formed by the provincial government as per the Constitution and law and it was not necessary to include a representative of any federal agency, local media reported.

Earlier, the federal government wrote a letter to the government of Punjab raising an objection about the joint investigation team (JIT) reconstituted to probe the attempted assassination of PTI Chairman Imran Khan in Wazirabad on November 3.

A day earlier, the Punjab government appointed CCPO Lahore Ghulam Muhammad Dogar as the JIT convener, while all members of the team are members of provincial police. This was the third time that the JIT was reconstituted, while its head was changed for the second time.

Sharing its reservations in its letter, the Ministry of Interior wrote that all JIT members belong to the Punjab Police, while it also objected to the absence of representatives of any other investigation or intelligence agency.

The Centre, in its letter, has suggested Punjab to add representatives of the Inter-Services Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau. “It will be better if the Punjab government can add representatives of federal agencies in the JIT,” the letter read.

The letter further stated that Punjab has appointed CCPO Dogar as the JIT’s head, even though he has been suspended by the Establishment Division. “Ghulam Mehmood Dogar has received temporary relief from the Federal Services Tribunal. A transparent investigation will be impossible by appointing such an officer as JIT head,” the interior ministry’s letter read.

Dogar — the cop who remains at the centre of the federal and provincial government’s feud — was suspended by the federal government as CCPO Lahore with immediate effect on November 5. He challenged the decision in the Lahore High Court which rejected his plea; however, the Federal Services Tribunal declared Dogar’s suspension “against the law”.