Govt constitutes JIT to probe attack on courts, law enforcers

JIT will determine those responsible for inciting the public against state institutions, says information minister

ISLAMABAD:

The PML-N-led ruling alliance decided on Tuesday to constitute a high-powered Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the attack on courts and law enforcement agencies deployed to secure the capital’s judicial complex when former premier Imran Khan was due to appear.

The decision to form a JIT to investigate violent attacks by the “armed groups” on the police and courts was taken a day after the ruling coalition decided to get tough on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and initiate legal action against the party, its leadership and workers for continuously challenging the writ of the state.

On March 18, the Islamabad Police lodged a first information report (FIR) against PTI Chairman Imran Khan and more than a dozen PTI leaders for allegedly attacking police officers, destroying property, setting vehicles on fire and causing chaos in and outside the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC).

The clashes continued for hours when Imran arrived at the FJC to attend a hearing in the Toshakhana case. Surprising as it may seem, the judge had taken Imran’s attendance through a court official as the PTI chief was present at the FJC’s gate but could not attend court proceedings due to the protestors’ attack on the law enforcers.

Apart from taking legal action, a six-hour-long meeting of the parties, led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in the federal government on March 18 also hinted at banning PTI as it claimed the party had become a terrorist outfit after its involvement in attacking state institutions including the army, judiciary and law-enforcement agencies.

Read Report on riots at judicial complex compiled

The coalition government condemned the attacks carried out allegedly on the orders of the PTI chairman on the police and Rangers, who were implementing court orders when they went to Imran's Zaman Park residence in Lahore and when Imran came with his supporters to a court in Islamabad the other day.

Just a day after the PML-N and its allies’ marathon meeting at the Prime Minister House, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the interior ministry has prepared a summary for the formation of the high-powered JIT and it will be sent to the prime minister on March 19 for his formal approval.

The government’s spokesperson said that the JIT will include senior officers of the interior ministry and the police, adding that it will also include officers from the intelligence agencies. The information minister said that the JIT will investigate the attack and injuries inflicted on the police at Islamabad Judicial Complex and submit its investigation report within seven days.

The minister added that the JIT will gather facts about the 'petrol bomb attacks' as well as the participation of the 'trained militants' of banned organisations in the attack on the judicial complex.

Aurangzeb said that all the evidence of PTI supporters breaking the gate of the judicial complex, throwing stones at law enforces and setting motorcycles and vehicles ablaze will also be collected.

Read more SSP among 10 policemen injured in judicial complex clash with PTI

She further said that all aspects of vandalism, arson, trespassing and violence will be covered in the JIT report, adding that the investigators will also determine who fired teargas shells on the police and who provided them the teargas shells.

The information minister further stated that the JIT will determine those responsible for inciting the public against state institutions as well as inciting them to resort to violence against the institutions. In light of the JIT report, she said, the government will take further legal action.

On Monday, the coalition government decided to not only get tough on PTI but also summoned a joint session of parliament on March 22 (tomorrow) to take important decisions to ensure the writ of the state.

The Monday huddle of the ruling alliance had also decided that legal action would be taken against those running a dirty campaign from abroad against the army, its chief, and the martyrs of Lasbela. They said that this behaviour was unacceptable in any society and “this is not freedom of speech”.

Further, the alliance leaders expressed concerns over the treatment meted out to the PTI chairman by the courts, saying: “The treatment of Imran Khan and his colleagues is deepening the impression that the scales of justice are not equal”. The official statement declared that “two standards of justice in one country are not acceptable”.