Centre shares reservations with Punjab govt over JIT formed to investigate attack on Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: After the Government of Punjab reconstituted the joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the attempted assassination attack on PTI Chairman Imran Khan, the federal government has written a letter to the provincial administration sharing its reservations regarding the team.

The JIT, which was reconstituted for the third time with its head changed twice, will be probing into the attack that Khan survived in Wazirabad on November 3.

The team is headed by CCPO Lahore Ghulam Muhammad Dogar as its convener, who was appointed by Punjab on the PTI chief's suggestion a day earlier.

In its letter to the province, Ministry of Interior stated that all JIT members belong to the Punjab Police and it also objected to the absence of representatives of any other investigation or intelligence agency.

The Centre has suggested Punjab to add representatives of the Inter-Services Intelligence and Intelligence Bureau.

"It will be better if the Punjab government can add representatives of federal agencies in the JIT," the letter stated.

The federal government also raised objections to the appointment of CCPO Dogar as the JIT's head, as he has been suspended by the establishment division.

"Ghulam Mehmood Dogar has received temporary relief from the Federal Service Tribunal. A transparent investigation will be impossible by appointing such an officer as JIT's head," the interior ministry's letter read.

Sources stated that CCPO Lahore Dogar was appointed as the JIT’s head at Imran Khan’s suggestion.

Dogar — the cop who remains at the centre of the federal and provincial government's feud — was suspended by the federal government as CCPO Lahore Dogar with immediate effect on November 5.

He challenged the decision in the Lahore High Court which rejected his plea; however, the Federal Services Tribunal declared Dogar's suspension “against the law”.