Sahiwal tragedy: CTD accused of 'pressuring' family to drop case

Lawyer presents recorded call during press conference, claims threats to his life

The kin of those killed in the Sahiwal ‘encounter’ have accused the provincial Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of trying to save their colleagues by exerting pressure on the family to drop the case.

The family has also asked the government to provide security.

During a press conference, the family and its lawyer, Shahbaz Bukhari, claimed that the CTD is trying to protect its image and is threatening them with dire consequences if the case is not dropped.

Bukhari further alleged that one of the province's top CTD official also called him and threatened to kill him.

The lawyer presented a seven-minute recorded call during the press conference and added that the recording has been forwarded to joint investigation team (JIT) head, Additional IG Ijaz Shah, who has in turn reassured Bukhari that there will be definitive action.



The family and their lawyer hoped that the Sahiwal incident will be treated with due diligence and said even intelligence agencies have reassured them that justice will be served.

Furthermore, Bukhari hoped that Prime Minister Imran Khan and other relevant ministers will come to meet the family soon.

Detailing the future course of action, the lawyer said a petition will be filed in the provincial high court to shift the case from Sahiwal to Lahore.

The incident

On January 19, the CTD claimed in a statement that they signalled a Suzuki Alto car and a motorcycle to stop near Sahiwal Toll Plaza on GT Road, but they did not pull over and instead opened fire on the police.

The CTD officials retaliated and four people, including two women, were killed by the “firing of their own accomplices” in the ensuing firefight, according to the CTD.

The operation was a follow-up of the January 15 Faisalabad raid and that they were tracing two wanted terrorists of Da’ish, Shahid Jabbar and Abdur Rehman, who were listed in the ‘red book’, they added.

“This network was involved in the killing of three officials of a sensitive agency in Multan and a police officer in Faisalabad. They were also involved in the killing of American aid worker Warran Weinstein and abduction of former chief minister Yousaf Raza Gillani’s son.”

However, later it transpired that except for Zeeshan, all other occupants of the car were an innocent family. They were identified as Khalil, his wife Nabeela, and daughter Areeba.

Khalil’s son Mohammad Umair and two daughters Muniba and Jaziba were also wounded in the operation. The incident triggered a nationwide outrage and calls for the government to come clean on the shady operation.

A joint investigation team formed to probe into the incident confirmed that the family was innocent and that the CTD officials were responsible for their killing. Subsequently, the Punjab government removed some top CTD officials and suspended others, while announcing to try five CTD officials responsible for the killings on terrorism and murder charges.