–Jalil requests court to nullify JIT as no justice can be expected from it
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday approved the petition of Sahiwal firing victim Khalil’s brother Jalil for hearing on February 4.
Four people, including three members of a family, were killed in an alleged encounter in Sahiwal on January 19. CTD personnel said they had killed a local commander of Islamic State or Daesh and three others in the operation. However, eyewitnesses and three children, whose parents were killed, disputed the claim.
The incident sparked a national outcry and prompted Prime Minister Imran Khan to order an investigation into the killings.
According to details, a two-member bench, including the chief justice of LHC, will hear the petition.
In the petition, Jalil requested the court to nullify joint investigation team (JIT) formed to probe into the incident, stating that he is not expecting justice from it.
Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Punjab Inspector General (IG) Amjad Javed Saleemi have been made respondents in the petition.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Punjab government has ruled out the possibility of formation of judicial commission with Buzdar saying that the government was satisfied with the “transparent” proceedings of the JIT.
The CM had said on Thursday the government might think about a judicial commission if it felt the JIT was not up to the task, adding that five detained Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officials were already under investigation.
However, the families of the victims have been continuously demanding the formation of a judicial commission, maintaining that the findings of the JIT are “not satisfactory”.
Earlier this week, the families of the victims appeared before the Senate Standing Committee on Interior and demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident, while the Senate committee rejected JIT’s report on Sahiwal massacre.
Family members of those killed in the incident demanded the formation of a judicial commission to probe the killing and refer the case to military courts. They had also said that they are dissatisfied with the JIT investigating the incident.
“We are not satisfied with the JIT’s investigation,” the mother of Zeeshan, one of the victims, told the committee.
“The police that are investigating [the incident] are the ones who committed the killings,” she had added, while requesting the prime minister to provide justice.
On Wednesday, the Punjab government acknowledged that the “method of encounter” followed by the CTD in Sahiwal was wrong as the officials should have checked the vehicle before opening fire.
