Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday rebuked the witnesses in the Sahiwal 'encounter' killings case, in which Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel had shot dead four people in 2019. The court said that the witnesses issued 'false statements'.
The remarks were issued by Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz who is among the judges hearing the Punjab government's appeal against the 2019 decision acquitting all six accused.
In January 2019, Mohammad Khalil, his wife and their three children were travelling in a car, when their vehicle was fired upon. Their neighbour, Zeeshan, was driving the car when CTD personnel intercepted the car and opened fire on the passengers, thinking that they were terrorists. Khalil's two children Umair and Muneeba were the only survivors of the attack.
The CTD personnel accused of the killing said that they had information about Zeeshan having links with a terror outfit. Further, they had said that They also claimed that all the victims were murdered in an 'encounter' that were later declared fake when the two minor children spoke to the media.
The slain man Khalil's brother Mohammad Jalil, who had filed the case, along with six suspects Safdar Hussain, Ahsan Khan, Mohammad Ramzan, Saifullah, Hasnain Akbar and Nasir Nawaz appeared before the court.
Justice Aziz said to Jalil that he had previously highlighted the incident, but later refused to identify the suspects in the trial court. He warned of issuing a notice to Jalil for giving a false statement.
Further, the judge said to Jalil, "You give false statements to defame the court," the judge said. "The slain man was your brother."
The remarks were issued by Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz who is among the judges hearing the Punjab government's appeal against the 2019 decision acquitting all six accused.
In January 2019, Mohammad Khalil, his wife and their three children were travelling in a car, when their vehicle was fired upon. Their neighbour, Zeeshan, was driving the car when CTD personnel intercepted the car and opened fire on the passengers, thinking that they were terrorists. Khalil's two children Umair and Muneeba were the only survivors of the attack.
The CTD personnel accused of the killing said that they had information about Zeeshan having links with a terror outfit. Further, they had said that They also claimed that all the victims were murdered in an 'encounter' that were later declared fake when the two minor children spoke to the media.
The slain man Khalil's brother Mohammad Jalil, who had filed the case, along with six suspects Safdar Hussain, Ahsan Khan, Mohammad Ramzan, Saifullah, Hasnain Akbar and Nasir Nawaz appeared before the court.
Justice Aziz said to Jalil that he had previously highlighted the incident, but later refused to identify the suspects in the trial court. He warned of issuing a notice to Jalil for giving a false statement.
Further, the judge said to Jalil, "You give false statements to defame the court," the judge said. "The slain man was your brother."