Sahiwal murders: Guilty to get exemplary punishment, says Imran

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Prime Minister Imran Khan has assured the people that strict action will be taken against the culprits responsible for the Sahiwal tragedy as he returns from Qatar. The assurance was given by him before embarking on a trip of Qatar on Monday.

In a tweet, the premier said the grief and anger of the people of Pakistan on the Sahiwal incident is understandable and justified. Imran Khan pledged that the guilty will be given an exemplary punishment upon his return from the Qatar visit.

“I will review the entire structure of Punjab Police and start the process of reforming it,” he said. Imran Khan later left for the visit to Qatar. He has gone to that brotherly country on the invitation of Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hammad al Thani.

“The grief & anger of the people of Pakistan on Sahiwal incident is understandable and justified. I assure the nation that when I return from Qatar not only will the guilty be given exemplary punishment but I will review the entire structure of Punjab Police and start process of reforming it,” he tweeted.

It is the third tweet by Imran Khan on the tragic incident of Sahiwal. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar promised to provide justice to the victims of Sahiwal incident once the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) report is submitted to him.

In reply to harsh questions by the media outside the Punjab Assembly, the chief minister said no one could be hanged unless the proper process of investigation was completed and a report was submitted to him. “Let the JIT report come to the fore,” he added.

The CM said a JIT had been constituted over the issue and it would complete its report and submit it by 5:00pm today (Tuesday). He said a meeting had been summoned in the evening today (Tuesday) and he would decide the next step in the light of the findings of the JIT report. He said everyone will see for himself what action he will take to punish the culprits.

Buzdar said he was in Mianwali when he received report about the Sahiwal encounter. He said he reached there soon after receiving information. He said the government had announced Rs20 million for the family as compensation and also taken responsibility for the surviving children.

Interestingly, the chief minister didn’t take the Punjab Assembly into confidence over the incident despite being present on the PA premises. He spent time in his chamber where he held meetings with ministers and MPAs. However, he didn’t turn up to attend the PA session in which the only topic discussed was the Sahiwal tragedy.

In his absence, it was Law Minister Muhammad Basharat Raja, who led the treasury benches and defended the government position over the incident. The Punjab Assembly session was adjourned by Deputy Speaker Mir Dost Muhammad Mazari till today.

Earlier, Geo News while quoting sources reported that the JIT team visited the site of the incident and summoned eyewitnesses to record their statements. The JIT members visited the site of the incident and directed eyewitnesses to appear at Police Lines to record their statements. However, the eyewitnesses demanded that their statements be recorded at the site of the incident.

On the refusal of eyewitnesses to visit Police Lines, the JIT members left the site of the incident. “The JIT under AIG Aijaz Shah’s supervision is investigating from different angles,” the sources said.

“Other than probing officials of the CTD who are under custody, the JIT has also obtained information from AIG CTD Rai Tahir. A report submitted to the Punjab government by the CTD has also been made part of the investigation,” the sources added.