LHC seeks report of probe into Sahiwal killings

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday sought a report from the court-appointed judicial inquiry to probe into the Sahiwal killings incident on the next date of hearing.

A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan was hearing the petitions filed by Jalil, brother of one of the victims Khalil, and Dolphin Force official Ehtisham, the brother of alleged terrorist Zeeshan Javed. At the outset of the hearing, the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) head, additional IGP Syed Ejaz Hussain Shah, submitted a report to the LHC. The report mentioned that Zeeshan has been declared terrorist and he had contacts with the terrorists belonging to the Islamic State (IS) among whom many were proclaimed offenders of Red Book.

The prosecutor told the court that six police officers have been termed ‘responsible’ for the incident and a case has been lodged against the accused police officers. He pointed out that a report under Section 173 CrPC (challan) has been submitted to the trial court. The prosecutor told the court that a list containing names of 63 witnesses in the case has also been submitted in the trial court. He maintained that the local court of Sahiwal has already summoned the accused for March 7, adding that a judicial inquiry was underway into the incident and there was no need to form judicial commission on the matter. Chief Justice Khan asked the prosecutor that the judicial inquiry was to be completed within one month. To which prosecutor informed the court that one month time will end on March 14.