JIT head wants more time to submit Sahiwal ‘encounter’ report

Additional Inspector General (AIG) Ijaz Hussain Shah, who is heading the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed to probe into the Sahiwal ‘encounter’, has said that the team needs more time to submit its report to Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, the AIG said that the report cannot be completed as the team needs to investigate more into the Sahiwal ‘encounter’. He said that the team had arrested six Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officials who were being interrogated.

The JIT head added that they had also recorded statements from eyewitnesses, local media reported. Punjab chief minister had given the team till Tuesday to conduct its investigations and submit him a report by Tuesday evening.

Last week, Khalil, Nabeela, their teenage daughter Areeba and their neighbour Zeeshan were shot by the CTD officials who claimed that they were terrorists. The officials said that they had signaled the victim's car to stop, but instead of stopping the occupants of the car started firing, after which the CTD retaliated.

Three children of the deceased survived the attack, who have said that the officials fired on them. The childrens' statements also matched witnesses’ statements who said that the CTD had started shooting first.