The Sahiwal incident

I strongly condemn the Sahiwal incident. The police first identified the victims as kidnappers, and later called them terrorists. Eventually, security personnel mentioned that one of the victims had links with terrorists.

It is the responsibility of the Punjab government to conduct an impartial probe. Those who are involved in this crime must get exemplary punishment.

Ashfaq Sharif

Karachi

*****

Almost six months back, a 10-year-old girl Amal was killed by police fire. The problem in our police system is that when you talk to police officers of any rank and try to explain them the importance of having a coherent and globally recognised training course designed for their officers, they say that they don’t need training, they only need sophisticated equipment. When you talk to them about the importance of SoPs, checklists and protocols on how to arrest criminals or how to preserve a crime scene or how to collect evidence, they say that they know how to do their job. Unless the relevant authorities realise the importance of training, we will always have a trigger-happy police shooting.

We live in a country where the ruling party quotes how Hazrat Umer used to hold himself accountable even if a dog died of thirst. Imran Khan promised to bring that system of accountability in place. I would like to ask the ruling party to take a moment and imagine if they were in that car with their children and they had to go through this? Politicians should think about the trauma the young children are dealing with. How will the relevant authorities hold themselves accountable when they are in a position to make decisions about this broken and corrupted criminal justice system?

Yasir Amanat

Islamabad

*****

Law-enforcement personnel whose nature of job requires them to bear arms with live ammunition are subject to laws which govern their use of weapons. These people are there to protect the lives of citizens, not to take the law in their hands. The tone and choice of words used by the Punjab law minister, while addressing a press conference, was bereft of any feelings. This family departed from Lahore in a small car which could have been intercepted by any police van. Even if we are to assume that Zeeshan, who was accompanying the family, had links with terrorists, does this justify the disproportionate use of force by the police? Was it alright for the law minister to call the death of three people ‘collateral damage’? Have we not seen how Rao Anwar, who is accused of being involved in over 400 extrajudicial killings, is roaming free as if the life of ordinary citizens has no value for those who wield power in this country?

It is time for the authorities concerned to wake up. Those who hold power should be aware of the wrath of citizens driven to desperation, who are living in poverty, devoid of security, education, healthcare and welfare for most deprived sections of our society.

Ali Malik Tariq

Lahore

*****

The tragic Sahiwal incident has angered everyone. The life of the three children who survived will not remain the same. No financial support can make up for the loss they have suffered. Although PM Imran Khan has promised to thoroughly investigate the incident and punish the culprits, we all know what happens in such cases.

Had the investigations of previous such incidents – the Naqeebullah Mehsud case, the Model Town case, the Holy Family hospital firing – been transparently conducted and the culprits punished, the Sahiwal incident would not have occurred. The Rao Anwar trial and the Model Town incident’s investigations have made a mockery of justice.

Rehan Hamid

Peshawar

*****

The killing of four people, including one woman and a child, in Sahiwal has raised many questions over the professionalism of security personnel. The indiscriminate firing on the car, with women and children inside it, cannot be justified by any means. If the CTD had information about the presence of a terrorist inside the car, efforts could have been made to arrest him in the first place. Firing bullets should be the last resort.

Killing with impunity and without resorting to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) has become a fashion of security personnel that must end now. While the Rao Anwar saga has not been brought to its conclusion, immediate action on the Sahiwal incident should be taken to assure that the state is serious about putting an end to the extrajudicial killings.

M Sayyad Khan

Peshawar