Lawyers' killing: Daska SHO remanded into police custody

SIALKOT: An anti-terrorism court in Gujranwala on Wednesday remanded into police custody former SHO of the Daska city police station Shahzad Warraich, who allegedly gunned down two lawyers including the president of the local bar association.

Presenting Warraich in the ATC today, police asked for a 15-day physical remand from the judge but was granted a 12-day physical remand. The court ordered police to present the suspect in court again on June 8.

Warraich is accused of killing Rana Khalid Abbas, the president of the Daska bar association, and lawyer Irfan Chauhan after an altercation with the two lawyers on Monday. He was suspended from duty and taken into custody shortly after the incident.

Violent protests erupted in several cities following the killings, and the legal fraternity observing a nationwide strike and boycotting court proceedings across the country.

The Punjab home minister has formed a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to investigate the incident. The home minister says the incident was the individual action of a single police officer and action would be taken against those responsible.

The Punjab government announced that a judicial inquiry would be carried out to ascertain those responsible for the killings.

Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif has written a letter to the Lahore High Court for the judicial inquiry.