Sahiwal tragedy: Victim's son submits written statement before JIT

Policemen killed uncle Zeeshan and spoke to someone on the phone before killing my family, says Umair

LAHORE: Umair Khalil, one of the three surviving children of the ill-fated couple who were killed during an alleged encounter in Sahiwal earlier this year, submitted his written statement before a joint investigation team (JIT) on Saturday.

The eight-year-old along with other relevant persons recorded their statements about the incident that sent shock waves across the country, said an Express News report.

The elite Punjab police had killed four people, including Umair’s parents Khalil and Nabeela, his sister Areeba and neighbour Zeeshan in January this year. However, in a video that went viral on social media, Umair denied an official version in which the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) had claimed to have killed four terrorists.



According to Umair the policemen, who intercepted the car in which his family was travelling, spoke to someone on the phone first before killing his parents. When they fired at them, Khalil and Nabeela even tried to hide their children.

“We [father Khalil, mother Nabila, elder sister Areeba, sisters Muniba and Hadia] left at 8am for our destination. When our car reached Qadirabad, someone fired at it from behind as a result of which the car hit the footpath and stopped. Two police vehicles rapidly came near it and then policemen with their faces covered gunned down uncle Zeeshan,” said Umair in his written statement.

“After killing uncle Zeeshan,” the boy continued, “the policemen talked to someone on the phone.”

Umair Khalil's written statement. PHOTO: FILE

“My father offered to them [policemen] to take anything and pleaded not to kill us and forgive us. But once the policeman busy with the call put his phone down, gave a signal to his team, they started firing again,” said Umair.

As per Umair’s statement, “police’s firing killed my father, mother and sister. When the policemen opened fire, my father hid Muniba and my mother concealed me and Hadia before they died.”

“The policemen then took me and my sisters out and fired at the car again. They later shifted us to an isolated location and left,” Umair told the JIT.

“Muniba and I were in pain due to bullet wounds. One uncle [unknown man] found us and dropped us to a petrol station. Then the same police party came back and took us to a hospital in their vehicle.”



Umair in his statement categorically rejected police’s version that someone from inside the unfortunate car or from a motorcycle fired at them first.

“It is also a lie that police found any substance of terrorism from the car,” he insisted. “By killing my helpless parents and sister, the police have been cruel to us.”

Meanwhile, two of Khalil’s brothers and some family members also recorded their statements before the probe team.

Jalil (one of Khalil’s brothers) said, “Sahiwal police and rescue officials informed us about the incident. Later rescue 1122 informed us that Khalil’s three children are in Sahiwal hospital.”