Zeeshan’s family rejects Sahiwal JIT report

Mother says if they know about him beforehand, why they didn’t come to the house

LAHORE: The family of Zeeshan - a victim of the Sahiwal incident in which three other members of a family were also killed by the Counter Terrorism Department - has rejected the Joint Investigation Team’s (JIT) report, terming him a terrorist.

During a press conference at their house on Sunday, the family members complained that the JIT never called them nor did it record their statements.

“The JIT did not show us any evidence [that Zeeshan was a terrorist],” they lamented.

“The JIT report has not been shown to us,” said Zeeshan’s brother Ehtesham.

On accusations that he is also an accomplice of the terrorists, Ehtesham said, “Why didn’t they run a background check when I was being hired by the police? Now they are questioning my character.”

He said, “If my brother was a suspect, why didn’t the authorities search our home. The people, who can label my brother as a terrorist and kill him while he was on his way to attend a wedding, can do anything.”

On the other hand, Zeeshan’s mother said, “We are not afraid of anyone nor will be. First, one son was made to be a terrorist, now the other one is also being made to look like a terrorist.”

She demanded return of their belongings, including jewellery, mobile phones, car and money.

“We pray to God. We have no expectations from them,” she said.

“If they knew about Zeeshan beforehand, why haven’t they come to our house till date?”

The widow of Zeeshan said, “If my husband was a terrorist, they should have come to the house and killed him … killed all of us.”

She said that she had been married to Zeeshan for the last 10 years and had never witnessed any suspicious activity.

“The JIT report is one-sided as we have not been called yet,” she added.