Sahiwal operation 100pc right: Basharat

LAHORE: Punjab Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja has said the information-based operation carried out in Sahiwal on Saturday was 100 per cent correct, though the victim family was innocent.

Speaking to the media after attending a high-level meeting on the Sahiwal incident here on Tuesday, he said the initial Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report found no terror links of the late Khalil family and held the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officials responsible for their murder.

In the light of the initial report, the Punjab government removed Additional Inspector General (AIG) CTD Operations (Punjab) Rai Tahir and DIG CTD from their posts, and directed them to report to the federal government. SSP CTD and DSP CTD of Lahore Region had also been suspended, the law minister said.

The Khalil family – family head, his wife and his teenage daughter – along with one Zeeshan, who was driving the car, were killed on Jan 19 when the CTD officials stopped their vehicle and opened fire on them near Sahiwal.

The CTD men had claimed they had killed a local commander of a militant organisation, Daesh, and three others in the operation.

The minister said that challans of five CTD officials under murder charges would be presented before the anti-terrorism court on Wednesday (today).

He said the government would hold an in-camera briefing about the incident for the media on Wednesday (today).

"The government, as per its deadline, has completed its promise of a quick and transparent investigation. It’s a test case. No person is above the law," he added.

Raja Basharat said the JIT chief, Ejaz Shah, had asked for further time to investigate the background of Zeeshan, who was also killed with the members of the Khalil family.

The law minister, when asked if the operation was correct or not, said the operation was 100 per cent correct. He added that facts about the case would be revealed to the media during Wednesday’s in-camera briefing.