Archive | Events

JIT holds CTD responsible for ‘innocent’ family’s killing in Sahiwal ‘operation’

JIT holds CTD responsible for ‘innocent’ family’s killing in Sahiwal ‘operation’

Posted on 23 January 2019 by Usama Hashmi - Total hits: 5,029

LAHORE: The Punjab government has decided to remove the top counterterrorism police officials after a joint investigation team (JIT) blamed them in its preliminary report for the killing of an innocent family in a shady operation at Sahiwal earlier this week.

The JIT was constituted on the direction of Prime Minister Imran Khan to investigate the killing of a man, named Khalil, his wife Nabeela, daughter Areeba and friend Zeeshan Javed by CTD officials on GT Road in Sahiwal on Saturday.

Khalil’s son Mohammad Umair and two daughters Muniba and Jaziba were also wounded in the “operation” which the CTD claimed was conducted on the basis of intelligence against “terrorists”.
The “operation” set off nationwide outrage after video footage, eyewitnesses and Khalil’s surviving children debunked the CTD narrative.

The JIT, which had representation from the police and civil and military intelligence agencies, submitted its report at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Tuesday.

Attendees at the meeting included provincial Local Government and Community Development Minister Abdul Aleem Khan, Punjab Law Minister Basharat Raja as well as the chief secretary, additional chief secretary for interior, and inspector general of police.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Law Minister Basharat Raja said that the JIT, on the basis of its preliminary findings, has blamed the CTD officials for the killing of the family in Sahiwal.

“In view of the JIT report, the government has decided to remove the AIG and DIG CTD from their posts,” he told the media. “The SSP and DSP CTD Sahiwal region have been suspended,” he added.

“The AIG (Operations) has also been removed from his post and directed to report to the federal government,” the minister further said, adding that disciplinary action would also be taken against these officials.

“Five CTD officials involved in the killing have been booked under Section 302 (of Pakistan Penal Code) and they would be tried in an antiterrorism court,” Raja said.

He said the JIT head has sought time for further investigation against Zeeshan Javed who was also killed in the “operation” suggesting that he was linked with terrorists in some way.

The minister promised to give an in-camera briefing to the media on Wednesday to give details that had led to the “operation” which he defended as “based on 100 per cent correct intelligence information”.

He said the media has access to information, so it should at least investigate and find out who had owned the car in which the family was travelling. “At tomorrow’s briefing, you would get answers to this and all other questions you have,” he added.

The minister praised the military and other law enforcement agencies for peace in the country. He credited the CTD with successful fight against terrorists in the province.

Raja claimed that the government has fulfilled its commitment to the people of Punjab by fixing responsibility for the Sahiwal tragedy. “Never before in the history of this province action has been taken in such a case within 72 hours,” he added.

He said the government would do whatever it could to ensure rule of law and establish the state’s writ in the province.

He ruled out a judicial inquiry into the incident as was demanded by the opposition, saying that the JIT has already fixed responsibility and the government has taken action against those responsible.

According to sources, forensic samples, including the bullet shells, collected from the crime scene have been sent to the Punjab forensic science agency. Shells of as many as 42 sub-machineguns (SMGs) bullets fired by CTD officials have been sent for forensic analysis.

However, the SMGs used by the CTD officials have not been handed over for forensic analysis, while bullet shells from a 9mm pistol were sent for examination.

Forensic inspection of the Suzuki Alto car in which the family had been killed has not been completed thus far because either forensic experts would have to travel to Sahiwal or the car would be brought to the lab for this purpose.

Comments (0)

Army, PAF teams rescue stranded tourists in Nathia Gali

Army, PAF teams rescue stranded tourists in Nathia Gali

Posted on 22 January 2019 by Usama Hashmi - Total hits: 4,188

Rescue teams from the Pakistan Army and the Pakistan Air Force, along with members of the civil administration, rescued tourists trapped in Nathia Gali’s Tauheedabad area after heavy snowfall blocked access routes.

An operation was conducted in the wee hours of Monday night and all the stranded tourists were rescued and the tourists were shifted to safe places in Murree and Kalabagh, said a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

A rescue team each of Pakistan Army and PAF, carrying food and medicines, was sent to the area in order to help the civil administration in carrying out the rescue operation.

The teams that participated in the operation included Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force, Quick Response Force (QRF) and Rescue 1122, added the military’s media wing.

Comments (0)

Sahiwal tragedy: Punjab govt terms deaths ‘collateral damage’

Sahiwal tragedy: Punjab govt terms deaths ‘collateral damage’

Posted on 21 January 2019 by Usama Hashmi - Total hits: 5,302

Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat on Sunday termed the killings of three members of the same family in a Sahiwal police ‘encounter’ “collateral damage”, saying it came about during law enforcement’s attempt to eliminate a suspected terrorist planning large-scale destruction.

The minister, who was addressing a press conference in Lahore alongside members of the provincial cabinet, said officials of Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of the Punjab police were targeting Zeeshan, a friend and neighbor of the deceased Khalil, who the minister said had alleged links with Da’esh, a proscribed terrorist organisation. “The CTD officials did not want to hurt Khalil’s family, but unfortunately collateral damage had happened in this incident,” he said.

In the incident, described by law enforcers as an encounter with terrorists, an elite department of Punjab police had on Saturday killed four people, including parents Khalil and Nabeela, their teenage daughter, and their family friend, Zeeshan, who was driving the car. The incident sent shock waves across the country as one of the three surviving children, who were witness to the episode, denied the official version in a video that went viral on social media.

Basharat said that a First Information Report (FIR) had been filed on the complaint of Khalil’s brother, nominating all those law-enforcers involved in the operation. He added that the team involved in the operation had been taken into custody, and its supervisor had been suspended.

He insisted that justice would be ensured at any cost in the tragic incident as a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) led by Additional Inspector General of Police (AGP) Ejaz Shah had been constituted to probe the matter and submits a report in three days.

Furthermore, he said, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had announced Rs20 million in compensation for the family whose three members – husband, wife and their teenaged daughter – were killed during an alleged shootout between Counter-Terrorism Department personnel and suspected terrorists in Sahiwal’s Qadirabad area on Saturday.

He announced that the Punjab government will bear the expenses for the education of the surviving children “till whatever stage they want to study”. The announcement came as the funeral prayers of the four deceased were offered on Sunday evening.

‘INTELLIGENCE-BASED OPERATION’

While the law minister said that the government will act on the findings of the JIT, and that it does not acknowledge any stance of the CTD, he added that the department had information of Zeeshan’s alleged links to Da’esh, a proscribed terrorist organization.

He claimed that this network was responsible for the murder of intelligence officials in Multan, the kidnapping of former premier Yousuf Raza Gillani’s son, Ali Haider, and the murder of two police officials in Faisalabad.

He said the CTD had information that Zeeshan was carrying explosive materials in his car. “Two suicide jackets, eight hand grenades, two pistols and bullets from his car.” However, he added, the exact situation would be unveiled after the JIT report as it had to be established that why fire was opened and what relation Zeeshan had with Khalil.

Basharat revealed that in the murder of the intelligence officials in Multan, a silver Honda City car was used which police and agencies were searching for. On January 13, the Honda City was spotted allegedly carrying terrorists to Sahiwal.

According to the minister, law enforcing agencies (LEAs) had surveillance footage of Punjab Safe Cities Authority’s (PSCA) cameras that showed Zeehsan’s car ‘with cars of terrorist’. In the footage, a silver Honda City could be seen trailing behind a white Alto. The law minister said that after tracing the car, surveillance footage between January 13 and 18 was reviewed and on January 18 it was “verified that Zeeshan was working with terrorists”.

The same day, agency personnel reached Zeeshan’s house and found terrorists present there along with explosive material, Basharat claimed. He said since Zeeshan’s house was located in a congested area, conducting an operation there was not feasible. “It would have endangered many lives, therefore, it was decided to wait for the suspected terrorists to leave in the car,” he continued.

The Sahiwal operation was carried out on the basis of intelligence report; however deaths of Khalil and his family had made it controversial, he added. He pointed out that the Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar had already taken notice of the incident.

He underlined that the JIT would probe the Sahiwal incident from all angles and the government would implement it recommendations in true letter and spirit. People responsible for this tragedy would be brought to justice. The government would also make the JIT report public, he added.

Basharat disclosed that two of Zeeshan’s accomplices had also been killed in Gujranwala. Following the news of Zeesjhan’s killing, he said, two of his accomplices flew from Lahore and blew themselves up in Gujranwala.

Later, funeral prayers of all the victims of the Sahiwal incident were offered on Ferozpur Road, Chungi Amer Sadhu on Sunday. A large number of people and relatives of the deceased attended the funeral prayer.

Comments (0)

KCR track: Illegal occupants given 48 hours to vacate

KCR track: Illegal occupants given 48 hours to vacate

Posted on 18 December 2018 by Usama Hashmi - Total hits: 3,344

KARACHI: On the eighth day of the ongoing anti-encroachment operation on Karachi Circular Railway (KCR) following the apex court’s orders, encroachments on a five-kilometre railway line stretch were removed.

During the operation, illegal encroachments were removed from District Central’s railway line in Mujahid Colony while the residents of slums who had illegally constructed houses were issued notices for eviction within 48 hours. Additional Deputy Commissioner Waseemuddin, Assistant Commissioner Gulberg Malik Ikram, local police and Railways’ officials were present. Waseemuddin said that the encroachments on the five km long portion of KCR track were removed.

He added that after the removal of the encroachments, the area will be handed over to the Railways’ authorities to install their pickets so no illegal occupation takes place again. He said that the Railways land should be vacated and it was a positive step.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18th, 2018.

Comments (0)

No gas load shedding being carried out, NA told

No gas load shedding being carried out, NA told

Posted on 12 December 2018 by Usama Hashmi - Total hits: 3,707

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly was informed on Tuesday that no gas load shedding is being carried out in any part of the country.

Responding to a calling attention notice moved by Agha Hassan Baloch, Minister for Petroleum Ghulam Sarwar Khan admitted there is issue of low gas pressure in different cities.

He said Sui Southern Gas Pipelines Limited is executing two projects of replacing the old pipelines with new ones at a cost of 2.28 billion rupees.
The petroleum minister said installation of new pipelines and new compressors will help address the issue of low gas pressure and added gas distribution companies have also been directed to check their losses and gas theft.

Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi told the House a plan will be unveiled in March next year to make National Counter Terrorism Authority [NACTA] more meaningful and vibrant. He said national security is the focus of the government.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said all the stakeholders including the political parties should sit together to formulate a charter of economy.

Responding to the points raised by Ajmal Khan on the problems faced by farmers, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary said the government is giving priority to the uplift of agriculture sector as this sector is also being made part of multi billion dollars China Pakistan Economic Corridor project.

On the protest of teachers of basic education community schools at D Chowk in Islamabad, Minister of Education Shafqat Mahmood assured their salaries will soon be paid after approval of over three billion rupees by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council for this purpose.

A number of bills were laid before the House on Tuesday including The Constitution (Amendment) bill, 2018 (Articles 25 B, 51, 63 B, 92 and 106), Pakistan Psychological Council Bill, 2018, The Election (Amendment) Bill, 2018, The Legal Practitioners and Bar Councils (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and The Constitution (Amendment) Bill, (Article 106).

Comments (0)




Digital Media Agency

Business Directory Pakistan SEO Services - SEO Specialist Pakistan Advertise Here


Categories

Archives