PTI worker’s killing: JIT clears Sanaullah in Faisalabad firing case

Challan naming three accused to be submitted today

FAISALABAD: The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has exonerated former Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah, his son-in-law Rana Sheharyar, State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali, MPA Tahir Jameel and DCO Noorul Amin Mengal from the Novelty Bridge firing case.

The case pertains to the firing incident on December 8 in which a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) worker was shot dead during a protest demonstration. The government had formed the JIT to investigate the incident. PTI had held the five persons responsible for the tragic incident.

The three persons held responsible for firing in the report, namely Elyas Watto alias Toti, Hafiz Imran and Chini Awan, would now be declared accused on the charge of murder and creating terror. A challan in this regard would be submitted in the court on Monday (today).

The PTI and complainant of the case had both rejected the JIT when it was formed, with the PTI claiming “all the three members of the JIT are blue-eyed persons of Rana Sanaullah.” They termed the JIT formation a “calculated move to absolve the main accused” from the charges, calling for members of intelligence agencies ISI, IB and MI to be part of the team.

Samanabad police had registered the case on complaint of the deceased’s brother Attaullah Khan.

Attaullah had contended that his brother Haq Nawaz was participating in the December 8 shutter-down when scuffles erupted between the PTI and PML-N activists and Haq received a gun shot near Novelty Bridge.

However, former law minister Rana Sanaullah in a press conference on December 9 had denied his hand in the killing of the PTI worker. He had also claimed that Haq Nawaz was allegedly shot dead by PTI itself or some other outfit intending to create chaos and uncertainty in the county.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2015.