Dubai: A number of senior police officials at the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) were suspend on Tuesday night in the Sahiwal shooting case.
The CTD team had killed three members of a family and one suspected terrorist in Sahiwal. The brutal killing shocked the entire country calling for action against ‘trigger-happy’ policemen who were involved in extra-judicial killing.
The incident on January 19 saw the counter-terrorism officials open fire on a car they said was being used by an extremist leader in the province, Zeeshan Javed. He was killed along with three passengers - grocery store owner Mohammad Khalil, his wife and their 12-year-old daughter while three small children survived the attack.
Gulf News got the recommendations given in the Chief Minister Punjab’s meeting on the JIT report.
In the report, Chief Minister of Punjab Usman Buzdar said that the government has taken action in a record time against the culprits following directions from Prime Minister Imran Khan. “This is a test case and we will give exemplary punishment to those behind this heinous crime,” he said during the meeting.
In the initial findings, the JIT has held CTD responsible for murdering the family and recommended to take action against all involved in the process.
Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat told reporters on Tuesday night that the provincial government had removed the head of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and three other officials who will all face disciplinary action.
The five officers who shot at the car in Sahiwal town will be charged with murder and tried in an anti-terrorism court, he said.
According to the minister, the Additional IG operations Punjab has been immediately removed from his post and ordered to report to the federal government, the AIG CTD Punjab has been removed, the DIG CTD has also been removed and ordered to report to the federal government, the SSP CTD and DSP CTD Sahiwal region have been suspended.
Also, five CTD officials involved in the ‘encounter’ have been ordered to be presented before an anti-terrorism court.
The minister said that JIT head has sought additional time to further investigate and present facts concerning Zeeshan Javaid, the fourth person killed in the CTD operation who the agency alleges has links with a terrorist outfit.
List of top officials held responsible:
- Additional IG Operations Punjab
- Additional IG CTD, Punjab
- DIG CTD, Punjab
- SSP CTD, Punjab
- DSP CTD Sahiwal.
- Additional five policemen who were involved in shooting have been arrested to be presented in the anti-terrorism court
