Sahiwal tragedy: JIT presents fact finding report to Punjab CM

A high-level meeting presided by CM Buzdar is reviewing the report.

LAHORE (Dunya News) – Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed to probe the Sahiwal incident presented the fact finding report to Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Tuesday.

A high-level meeting presided by Buzdar reviewed the report.

According to details, the report says that CTD officials could have checked the car after it stopped however; criminal negligence was demonstrated in the entire operation.

On the other hand, JIT has requested more time from the government for completion of probe. It says that the investigation will be taken ahead in the light of statements and evidences.

The CTD however; stands on its statement regarding Zeeshan.

Additional Inspector General (IG) Establishment Ijaz Shah, who is heading the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) revealed earlier that six officers of the Counter-Terrorism Department were under detention and statements of four eyewitnesses were recorded so far.

The JIT members examined the crime spot to review every aspect of the incident. Members from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Intelligence Bureau have also been included in the team.

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Moreover, several critical evidences have been lost after clearance of the crime spot near Sahiwal where the incident took place. Besides, bullets and the car’s forensic tests could also not be performed.

Authorities have recorded statements of concerned officers for compiling the report when eyewitnesses refused to record their statements at the police rest house.

The report has also collected evidence from the footages which were obtained by media and citizens.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has asked the general public to have patience and wait for an appropriate action after the JIT report.

On the other hand, names of officers involved in the incident have been made known.

The operation was led by Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) sub-inspector Safdar Hussain while other officers include Ahsan Khan, Muhammad Ramzan, Saifullah and Husnain.

It is pertinent here to mention that the CTD officials had killed four people, including a couple and their teenage daughter, and injured a teenage boy in a suspicious ‘encounter’ on GT Road near Sahiwal.

The incident had triggered a nationwide outcry that prompted the government to take the security officials into custody and order an investigation into the incident.

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The suspects were identified as Shahid Jabbar and Abdul Rehman travelling towards Sahiwal and were reportedly in possession of arms and explosives, CTD stated.

The counter-terrorism officials claimed that the operation was conducted to capture an ‘Islamic State (IS) commander’ on a tip off by an intelligence agency.