- Eight Elite Force personnel tell JIT SP Security Salman Ali Khan ordered them twice to shoot at protesting PAT workers
- Say they fired around 200 rounds despite expressing reservations that the wind could alter trajectory of the bullets
The joint investigation team formed by the Punjab government to probe the police firing incident outside Minhajul Quran Secretariat on Friday was told that the SP Security had ordered police personnel to open fire on the protesting Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers on June 17.
Elite Force in-charge Sub-Inspector Abdur Rauf, in his statement, alleged that SP Security Salman Ali Khan had ordered them to open fire on the protesters, resulting in the deaths of at least 14 persons and injuries to over 80 others.
The confrontation had started when a 15-member police team tried to remove barriers in front of PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri’s house and the Minhaj International Secretariat on the night of June 16.
According to sources, Rauf claimed that Salman Ali Khan had ordered the policemen to shoot at the protesters’ legs to injure them. He said that the policemen expressed their reservations as they feared that wind could alter the trajectory of their bullets which could cause serious injuries to the protesters.
The Elite Force official said that when they did not open fire despite the SP’s order, Inspector Amir Saleem, station house officer of Sabzazar Police Station asked the SP to issue the order again. “Upon receiving the order again, the police personnel fired around 200 rounds at the protesters,” Rauf said in his statement.
Eight Elite Force personnel corroborated Rauf’s account of the incident.
On Thursday, the JIT had detained nine policemen for their alleged role in the deaths of the PAT workers but no FIR has been registered against them as yet.
A senior police official working in the JIT confided that around 150 police officials who took part in the clashes with PAT workers had been interviewed by the JIT.
Eight Elite Force personnel and Sabzazar SHO Inspector Amir Saleem were taken into custody for further interrogation.
The detained Elite Force personnel have been identified as Sub-Inspector Abdur Rauf, Sub-Inspector Athar, Head Constable Naveed, Head Constable Mohsin, Head Constable Khurram, Constable Imran, Constable Javaid, and Constable Shujaat.
The arrests followed former Lahore CCPO Chaudhry Shafique Gujjar’s letter to the JIT, stating that the police high command had not ordered police personnel to open fire at PAT workers and the policemen had taken the decision on their own.