Sahiwal ‘shootout’: Case registered against CTD officials under terror law

SAHIWAL: Sixteen officials of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) have been booked under terrorism charges for their involvement in Saturday’s alleged shootout that killed four people, including a husband, wife and their teenage daughter.

The case was registered in Yousafwala police station of Sahiwal district on Sunday, in response to a complaint by Jaleel Ahmed, the brother of Khaleel who was among those shot dead by the CTD.

The FIR was lodged under section 302 (premeditated murder) of the Pakistan Penal Code along with section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

Four people – including three members of a family – were killed in an alleged encounter in Sahiwal on Saturday. CTD personnel said they had killed a local commander of militant organisation Daesh and three others in the operation. Eyewitnesses, however, disputed the claim and said the people in the car did not fire at officials, nor were any explosives recovered from the vehicle.

Relatives of the slain family ended their protest after the lodging of the FIR earlier today. They had staged a sit-in overnight at GT Road demanding justice and prompt action against the perpetrators, and had refused to be moved until a case was registered against the incident. 

CTD officials taken into custody 

The CTD officials involved in the alleged extrajudicial killing were taken into custody on the orders of Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar, a CM House spokesperson said on Saturday.

The Punjab chief minister gave the directives for the CTD personnel's arrest after Prime Minister Imran Khan took notice of the incident and demanded a transparent probe into the killings.  

CM Buzdar summons high-level meeting 

Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar summoned a high-level meeting on Sunday over the Sahiwal incident.

The minister vowed strict action against the perpetrators and announced to personally look after the probe into the killings.

The session discussed the overall security situation in Punjab province and reviewed any progress made in the investigation into the alleged encounter. 

Initial postmortem report

According to initial findings from a postmortem carried out on the bodies of the deceased, the driver, Zeeshan, received 10 bullets while the children's father, Khaleel, was shot 13 times.

The mother, Nabeela Bibi, received four bullets while 13-year-old Areeba was shot six times.

Their minor son Umair received bullet wounds on his leg whereas his young sister Muneeba was injured by the shattered glass windows of the car. The two children were being treated at Lahore's General Hospital while four-year-old Hadia was discharged from the hospital and taken home. 

Zeeshan’s family ends sit-in over promise of justice, transparent investigation

Driver Zeeshan’s family ended the protest over the reassurance that the Joint Investigation Team will carry out transparent investigation and justice will be dispensed.

The funeral prayers of four deceased in Saturday’s incident has been offered and a number of people attended the funeral prayers.

Earlier, Zeeshan’s family had demanded that they will not bury the body until the authorities take back terrorism allegations on him.