KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Sunday visited the family of 19-year-old Intizar Ahmed, who was allegedly killed by Anti-Car Lifting Cell (ACLC) personnel, to offer his condolences.
Speaking to the media persons alongside Intizar’s father Ishtiaq Ahmed, the PTI chief said the victim’s father wanted the murder case to be tried in an anti-terrorism court.
He expressed concern over extrajudicial killings, saying politicians should not patronize such killings.
He made these remarks against the backdrop of the recent extrajudicial killing of aspiring fashion model Naqeebullah Mehsud in Karachi.
He said the PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa completely depoliticised its police. He demanded that Sindh and Punjab police should also be cleansed of politics, like the KP police.
Khan said if the Intizar’s father was not satisfied with trial of the case by an ordinary court; it should be handed over to an anti-terrorism court for the purpose.
He said the parents of Asma, who was raped and murdered in Mardan, had trust in the investigation being carried out by the KP police.
The deceased’s father, Ishtiaq Ahmed, also addressed the media and expressed reservations on the joint investigation team (JIT) probing the incident.
Ishtiaq claimed on the occasion that his son was murdered in a targeted killing incident, which warranted friar investigation. He said he could not hope for justice unless the case was tried by an ATC.
He recalled Supreme Court Justice Gulzar Ahmed’s remarks on Saturday when he said that the eight police officials could have arrested Intezar instead of shooting him dead.
He vowed to take the matter to the Supreme Court to seek justice.
Mohammad Asif, the family’s counsel, told the media that the JIT did not contact them when they visited the site of the incident, adding that the JIT was given ‘selected’ evidence.
NEW CCTV FOOTAGE SURFACES:
Meanwhile, a CCTV footage of moments before Intizar Ahmed was shot dead by ACLC personnel in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) surfaced on Sunday.
The video shows ACLC officials in two cars and two motorcycles stopping Intizar’s car, checking inside to confirm the presence before opening fire.
According to the victim’s father, the complete footage is yet to be provided. He added that the available footage suggests it was a ‘planned’ murder.
JIT FORMED TO PROBE INCIDENT:
Earlier, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of police recommended the formation of JIT to probe the killing.
According to CTD DIG Aamir Farooqi, the JIT would determine the reason behind the presence of the police at the crime scene, adding that the way Intezar’s car was stopped creates suspicions.
The JIT is also expected to evaluate the role of suspended ACLC SSP Muqaddas Haider.
“It seems this was an attempt to kidnap Intezar,” Farooqi said, adding that private vehicles were used by officials involved.
The DIG stressed that the entire action was conducted quickly and unprofessionally. “Not a single police official was in uniform.”
CTD officials have identified the suspected shooters as Bilal and Daniyal – the former was the principal staff officer of suspended ACLC SSP Muqaddas Haider while the latter was his gunman.
Officials said the presence of both officials, in civvies, at the time of the shooting is suspicious.
The CTD, which has recorded the statement of Madiha Kiyani, the girl who accompanied Intezar on the night of the incident, has yet to determine the purpose of the killing.
Intizar was shot dead on January 13 at Khayaban-e-Ittehad after the officials and personnel of ACLC resorted to indiscriminate fire at a White Corolla, killing the victim on the spot. Although the police had initially claimed that the boy was killed in an act of targeted killing by at least two armed assailants riding a motorcycle, it was later revealed that the ACLC officials and personnel were behind the brutal murder of Intizar.
The police have obtained the initial forensic report of the weapons used in the incident, which revealed that two 9mm official pistols were used in the incident. Police said that one weapon had fired 12 rounds, while the other six.