Condolences pour in as Sahiwal incident widely condemned

Citizens as well as political leaders express grief over killings

LAHORE: The brutality of the provincial Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in shady Sahiwal encounter has attracted huge public criticism.

Family members and relatives of the victims, local residents, general public, opposition parties and even the members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has strongly condemned the incident.

Members of the victim families continued their protest, on Sunday, against brutality the CTD officials. Initially, they refused to bury bodies of their family members till justice was served to the family. They continued to stage a sit-in on Main Main Ferozepur Road on the second day to register their protest. However, following the registration of the FIR, the victims’ family ended their protest.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, a local resident of Chungi Amer Sidhu area, Muhammad Awais, said it was the worst form of the ruthlessness of the police department. “The Sahiwal incident has exposed the darker side of the state institutions. Earlier, police officials killed 14 innocents in Model Town massacre and now the Sahiwal tragedy had once again jolted the entire nation,” he said.

Criticising the law enforcing agencies and the PTI government, another citizen, Rasheed Ahmad, said the barbarity of the CTD police has proved that there was no value of human life in Pakistani society. “The pictures and video clips of young children, who witnessed police officials’ cruelty in front of their eyes, have torn the hearts of all Pakistanis. But the government and law enforcing agencies are trying to save each other which is very unfortunate. It clearly indicates that this family may not get justice too, like other such incidents,” he lamented.

Speaking to media on Sunday, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan (JIP) Ameer Senator Sirajul Haq questioned that the nation wanted to know that who had given license to kill innocent citizens to the CTD and police department. After expressing condolences with the victims’ family, Haq termed the incident as ‘state terrorism’.

He highlighted that this barbaric incident happened in broad day light. “The government ministers have changed their stance seven times since yesterday. The incident had exposed that how institutions worked in Pakistan. If the rule of ‘might is right’ was prevailing in the society, the courts should be closed,” he remarked. “The entire nation was grieved. People had lost faith in the investigation system or the joint investigation teams (JIT).”

He urged the judiciary to take notice of the matter and bring culprits to the book. He said it seemed Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar wanted to pay a few hundred thousand rupees to the aggrieved family for the blood of the victims.

The JIP chief questioned that why a terrorist would travel with his family. Why the family was targeted without having sufficient information. Masses could not tolerate such terrorism anymore, he underlined, adding it was a humanitarian issue and not a political one as parents were shot dead before the eyes of their minor children.

PTI Central Addition Secretary Ejaz Ahmad Chaudhry also visited the victims’ family to express his condolences. He also condemned the Sahiwal incident and highlighted that on directives of the prime minister, the JIT was probing the incident. Culprits responsible for this gruesome incident would get exemplary punishment. He assured the victims’ family that the justice would be served to them.

Pakistan Awami Tahreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri also strongly condemned the incident. In a tweet, he said he strictly condemn the heart-wrenching incident that took place in Sahiwal.

Provincial Minister of Human Rights and Affairs of Minorities Ijaz Alam Augustine expressed a deep sense of sorrow and grief over the Sahiwal’s incident. He said the tragic event in Sahiwal was sufficient to affect the soul of any human being and the humanity being shaken across Pakistan. The minister said that Nation should trust on JIT formed by PM I.K for transparent inquiry and wait for the final results. He said the provision of justice would be ensured at any cost and entire leadership or party of PTI was with the children and their family.