Anti-terrorism court (ATC) has acquitted six police officials of the Punjab Police’s Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) who were the prime suspects in Sahiwal incident.
Despite witnesses and video evidence, Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta gave CTD officials the benefit of the doubt.
Sahiwal incident
The incident took place on January 19 when a family was traveling to Burewala to attend a wedding. They were traveling in their neighbor, Zeeshan’s car, who according to CTD officials was a suspected terrorist.
The CTD officials stopped their car at Sahiwal Toll Plaza on GT Road and opened fire killing the couple, their 13-year-old daughter and Zeeshan. The couple’s other three children were left alone in car, unharmed.
The CTD officals said that they were tracing two wanted terrorists of Da’ish, Shahid Jabbar and Abdur Rehman. They said that those four people were killed based on suspicion of terrorism.
Investigation
The victims’ family said that they were innocent and also the eye witnesses claimed that no weapon was recovered from the vehicle.
It was later proved by the joint investigation team that the family was innocent. And also it was proved that CTD officials were responsible for the killings.
Action
The Punjab government removed top CTD officials. Following the incident, it was announced that the six CTD officials responsible for the killings would be tried on terrorism and murder charges.
Pakistanis took to social media to express their infuriation over the verdict in Sahiwal incident.
Read:4 Things That Need To Change In Pakistan After The Sahiwal Tragedy!
People questioned the verdict saying there were numerous witnesses and videos, what else did the court need?
What do you think of the court’s decision in the Sahiwal tragedy? Let us know in the comments below.