Orphans traumatised for life as ‘benefit of doubt wins’: Suspects of Sahiwal ‘encounter’ walk free

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court Thursday acquitted all six accused in Sahiwal CTD encounter case by giving them benefit of the doubt after the members of the deceased family who were witnesses in the trial resiled from their statements.

The court acquitted Counter-Terrorism Department officials including Safdar Hussain, Ahsan Khan, Hussain Akbar, Ramzan, Saifullah and Nasir Nawaz.

The sources privy to the whole episode believe that the children orphaned in the incident will be traumatised for life while the benefit of doubts goes in favour of the alleged perpetrators of the heinous crime.

The News learnt that a few months ago, the government had provided a relief amount of Rs50 million to the family members of the deceased after which legal heirs were not willing to contest the case, resulting in backing out of the statements by witnesses including Jalil brother of the deceased Khalil. After which the court of Arshad Hussain Bhutta acquitted all the suspects by giving them benefit of the doubt.

Farhad Ali Shah counsel of the deceased family while talking to The News confirmed that six months ago the complainant family had received relief amount from the government after which they were not willing to contest the case and later resiled from their statements. He further said during the hearings before the Lahore High Court a name of independent witness Dr Rana Nadeem was included whose vehicle was behind the car of the family when the encounter took place. However, when the complainant and main witness is not willing to defend his case how is it possible for a lawyer to contest the trial, Farhad added. He said before recording statement of the independent witness, main witnesses and complainant resiled from their statements. The court in its verdict stated that the case is decided in the light of the evidence brought before the court irrespective of the cruelty of the incident. The court stated that the prosecution failed to prove its case.

As per proceedings of the case, during the trial the court recorded statements of more than 50 witnesses, including relatives of victims Zeeshan and Khalil. The children of Khalil; two daughters and a son who survived the encounter didn’t identify the suspects. Moreover, the accused were also not identified during photogrammetric tests. Furthermore, the CTD official who had issued weapons and bullets to the suspect CTD officials while recording his statement before the court said all the weapons and bullets were returned.

On January 19, three family members including husband Khalil, wife and their teenage daughter and their friend Zeeshan were killed in a CTD encounter which the CTD termed it shootout with terrorists. The incident took place on GT Road in Qadirabad area near Sahiwal.

The couple’s minor son sustained a bullet injury while two other daughters remained safe. The family was travelling in a car to attend a wedding when the encounter took place.

According to counter-terrorism department, the operation was conducted on information about the presence of suspected terrorists in the car, provided by the department and an intelligence agency.

Initially, the trial was conducted in Sahiwal; however, the Lahore High Court on June 17 shifted the trial to Lahore allowing an application filed by the victims’ family.

After the incident, Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was in Qatar at that time in a twitter statement had said “the grief and anger of the people of Pakistan on Sahiwal incident is understandable and justified. “I assure the nation that when I return from Qatar not only will the guilty be given exemplary punishment but I will review the entire structure of Punjab police and start the process of reforming it”.

Later in another twitter message, the premier said he was “still shocked at seeing the traumatised children who saw their parents being gunned down before their eyes,” adding that any parents would be shocked as they would think of their own children in such a traumatic situation.