Operation 100pc right: Basharat: Sahiwal incident declared murder

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 Agency (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.

Late Tuesday night, the Punjab government issued transfer and posting orders of six senior police officers of Punjab Police including additional IG CTD Tahir Rai over the Sahiwal incident.

According to the notification, the services of Addl IG Operations Punjab Azhar Hameed Khokhar have been surrendered to the Establishment Division, also relieving him of his additional charge of the post of Addl IGP Discipline & Inspection CPO Punjab. Addl IG PHP Ahmad Ishaque Jahangir is assigned the additional charge of the post of Addl IG Operations Punjab.

Addl IG CTD Tahir Rai has been transferred with immediate effect and directed to report to the S&GAD of the Punjab till further orders. Addl IG Welfare & Finance Sardar Ali Khan is assigned the additional charge of the post of Addl IG CTD while the services of DIG CTD Babar Sarfraz Alpa have been surrendered to Establishment Division. DIG IT Zulfiqar Hameed has been assigned the additional charge of the post of Addl IG D&I CPO Punjab.

Sahiwal tragedy: Protest staged against killers of CTD dept on Ferozepur Road

Meanwhile Chungi Amar Sidhu locals and relatives of victim Khalil’s family again staged a protest Tuesday on Ferozepur Road by blocking the movement of vehicles and metro bus service.

The protesters shouted slogans against the brutal killers belonging to counter-terrorism department. The protest demonstration resulted in a traffic mess. Traffic police diverted traffic to alternate routes which also caused congestion. In the meantime, the members of JIT probing the Sahiwal killings reached the home of Khalil and recorded statements of his family members and neighbours. The officers held talks with the protesters and assured them of justice following which the road was opened for traffic.

Additional IG Ijaz Hussain Shah talking to media said the report that would be presented today could not be considered a “final report”. He said a comprehensive report on a tragedy of this nature could not be completed in two or three days. Sources said the Punjab chief minister expressed his displeasure over the statement of JIT head. The chief minister stopped the JIT head from giving any statements before media till the final report.

Sources also said six personnel of the CTD have been taken into custody and they are being grilled. A senior officer also said the JIT team had recorded statements of five eyewitnesses. The accounts of eyewitnesses suggest that police had fired the first bullet as the victims had not offered any resistance. The JIT team had also visited the crime scene, collected evidence and recorded eyewitness accounts though the crime scene was left unattended soon after the shooting. Police overall showed negligence in preserving the crime scene.