Sahiwal ‘encounter’ case: Government to challenge ATC verdict acquitting suspects – Pakistan

Prime Minister Imran Khan ordered the Punjab government to file an appeal against the verdict issued by a special anti-terrorism court (ATC) that acquitted all suspects in the case of the meeting of Sahiwal, special assistant to the prime minister of Information and Broadcasting, Dr. Firdous Ashiq. Awan said Friday.

In a post shared on Twitter, Dr. Awan said the prime minister had also ordered the authorities to investigate the weaknesses and deficiencies in the case presented by the plaintiff alleging the case.

Later in the day, Punjab law minister Basharat Raja announced that the attorney general had been notified of the government's decision to become a plaintiff in the case.

He also said that a "fact-finding commission" had been formed to determine the failures in the prosecution and the investigation of the case that led to the acquittal of the suspects.

The law minister also expressed concern about the "acceptance" of the family of the court's verdict. He said "even if the family is satisfied, the government is not."

On Thursday, the ATC in question had acquitted the six staff members of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of the charge of killing four people in an alleged meeting earlier this year.

In a later tweet, the prime minister's special assistant said today that the entire country had watched the video of the parents being shot in front of their children.

"The government is committed to providing justice to [these] innocent children If your family does not become a plaintiff, then the state will act as a plaintiff in the case. "

In January, Mohammad Khalil, his wife and their four children were traveling in a car, with their neighbor Zeeshan behind the wheel, when CTD staff intercepted the vehicle and opened fire on them. Later, CTD officials said they had intelligence-based information that Zeeshan had ties to a terrorist team.

Three children under Khalil, Muhammad Umair, Jazba and Muneeba, survived the attack with minor injuries.

On January 19, Yousafwala police had registered a First Information Report (FIR) on the complaint of Muhammad Jalil, brother of Khalil, under Sections 302, 324, 337 (F1, F-A1 and F3) and 201 of Criminal Code and Section of Pakistan 7 of the Anti-Terror Law of 1997.

Initially, the trial was conducted in Sahiwal. However, the Lahore High Court (LHC) had moved the procedure on June 17 to Lahore, allowing a request submitted by the plaintiff.

The suspects, Safdar Hussain, Ahsan Khan, Muhammad Ramzan, Saifullah, Hasnain Akbar and Nasir Nawaz, were acquitted yesterday by the trial court.

"The prosecution has failed to prove the case against the accused […] While dispensing justice, the court must see the available evidence in the record, "Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta ruled in the verdict.