- Let’s see how PTI handles this
PTI government has yet again shown incompetence, immaturity and lack of will to take proper action when it is required to do so. Chief Minister Punjab has again shown how incompetent he is for this significant post. Few days back he transferred very competent officer Rai Manzoor Hussain Nasir, DC Gujranwala, on very lame excuse of unhygienic condition present in the city but now when time has come to take action against culprits from Counter Terrorism Department of Sahiwal, he is reluctant and hesitant. Even the much-awaited JIT report has stated that Khalil and his family were innocent.
The whole incident of Sahiwal in which at first CTD police took the stance that the brutally gunned down family were kidnappers who were kidnaping three children present at that time. Later CTD took the position that they were terrorists who were moving with women and children for their cover and protection. One day later, the terrorist family became victim of collateral damage according to very incompetent Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat. He further said, “The CTD Officials did not intend to hurt Khalil’s family”. Someone should notify Mr Raja about the postmortem report that clearly states the non-killing intent of CTD. As per details of the postmortem driver Zeeshan received 10 bullets, father Khalil received 13 bullets, mother Nabeela Bibi four bullets and 13-year-old Areeba was shot four times. Now if this is what is called intent to not kill than God save us from killing intent of Counter Terrorism Department, who shot a 13-year-old minor four times.
At first after hearing the news and seeing it on social media it came to mind that maybe they were talking about Indian police from Indian Occupied Kashmir because they are brutal to the extent of killing minors and women but sadly our police department has shown that they are no less. Mr Raja Basharat’s credibility can be determined by the call that he made to Benazir Bhutto Shaheed Hospital Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr Tariq Mehmood Khan Niazi a few days ago for the transfer of a doctor, in which he can be clearly heard threating Dr Tariq. What more can be expected from people like these? Was this the tabdili that Imran Khan so emphasised upon in his whole political campaign?
There are numerous cases of extra judicial killings by the police in Pakistan and yet no serious steps are taken for much-needed reforms
Even if we assume for a few minutes that the unfortunate family was involved in some kind of terrorist activity, is this the SOP for this sort of operation? If the operation was carried out on the basis of intelligence then shouldn’t the family have been taken into custody for further interrogation? Was this wanton bloodshed really necessary? Rather than killing the whole family at point blank range, the police force could have easily apprehended them and taken them into custody. If the CTD had intelligence-based reports, then why the absence of appropriate preparation usually made to apprehend terrorists? Why was there not a single picket being setup at the toll point when the general public is humiliated on a daily basis at the pickets formed by Punjab police? If the said party had explosives or detonators with them then is this the proper way to apprehend them? They could have used those explosives to target any public place or public transport around them.
If CTD had a reliable source then why were the Rangers, a force which specialises in handling such operations, not approached timely in this operation? Maybe the fact that CTD wants glorification so badly that they forget all about SOPs has a role to play in it.
Information, whenever it is collected, collated, accessed and deducted with valuable information, becomes intelligence. Perhaps CTD should read this statement and learn from it and further refrain from intelligence-based operations in the future for the sake of innocent families. The CTD declared Zeeshan as an active member of the Islamic State terror group. Zeeshan’s brother, Ehtisham, works in the Dolphin Force. His questions to the authorities are that if Zeeshan was such a notorious terrorist, then how did he land a job in the Dolphin Force? Were there no background checks on him and his family?
There are numerous cases of extra judicial killings by the police in Pakistan and yet no serious steps are taken for much-needed reforms. From SSP Rao Anwar’s case to the current Sahiwal CTD incident, we have a long way to go before the police can be seen as protectors. PTI government has asked for resignations from the ministers of the PML-N government over such incidents in the past. Now, it’s time that they present their own resignations over this issue. Senior CTD officials have been removed from their posts but is this enough? Punjab Law Minister still defends the operation that it was Hundred percent correct, sadly killing of innocent lives is nothing of incorrection near him. Now let’s see if Mr Imran Khan would be able to ask resignations from Punjab Law minister and Punjab CM.
