Sahiwal Incident: CM Buzdar Refuses To Give More Time To JIT

Says the report must be submitted by 5pm in any case.

Lahore (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – 22nd January, 2019) Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has directed the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed to probe the Sahiwal incident to present the report today.

According to details, the chief minister has refused to give more time to the JIT to complete investigation.

CM Buzdar said that the JIT could investigate the incident within 72 hours.

“We can’t bear the delay of even a second in the investigation report,” he said.

He said that the JIT has three more hours to complete its report, adding that the report must be submitted by 5pm in any case.

The chief minister said that he has called a meeting at 5pm to review the JIT report.

He said that the entire nation awaits the JIT report. Those responsible for the incident will be punished in light of the JIT findings, he said.

Earlier, the head of the JIT, Additional IG Syed Ejaz Shah said that the report of such a big incident cannot be prepared in such a short time.

The JIT head said it would take a few more days to complete the report.

He further said that six police officials involved in the encounter are under arrest.

The JIT also visited the scene of the incident and went back to Lahore after recording statements of the eye-witnesses.

Syed Ejaz Shah said there was no pressure on the eye-witnesses.

They only testified what they saw.

He said he will tell Punjab chief minister the same thing which is in front of the people and media.

He added that it will require at least 30 days to complete the investigation.

Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Amjad Javed Salimi had formed a four-member JIT, headed by Ejaz Shah, to investigate the killing of four persons in Sahiwal in an alleged encounter by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).

According to the Police sources on Saturday, officers of secret services would also be members of the JIT.

The incident took place at Qadirabad where a team of CTD Lahore, taking action against a suspected car, shot dead two men and two women.

Later, the CTD team took the bodies, children and other valuables from the vehicle. However, the team later on dropped the children at a filling station.

With the alleged shady encounter on a highway in Sahiwal district, a big question mark was posed on the functioning of Punjab Police.

The victims were first declared as kidnappers and then as terrorists from a proscribed group by the police force, which raised eyebrows on the alleged shootout, followed by contradictory witnesses' narratives.

As the incident drew wide ire and condemnation, demands are being made for a thorough probe.