Daily Times

Prime Minister Imran Khan Sunday vowed swift action against the personnel of the Counter-Terrorism Department if found guilty by a joint investigation team formed to probe Saturday’s alleged encounter in Sahiwal that left four people including three of the same family dead.

In a series of tweets on Sunday, the prime minister expressed his shock at the incident and said the State will look after the children whose parents were shot dead by the CTD. “Still shocked at seeing the traumatized children who saw their parents shot before their eyes. Any parent would be shocked as they would think of their own children in such a traumatic situation. These children will now be fully looked after by the State as its responsibility,” he tweeted.

The prime minister, while lauding the CTD for its fight against terrorism, asserted that everyone must be accountable before the law. “While the CTD has done a great job in fight against terrorism, everyone must be accountable before the law. As soon as JIT report comes, swift action will be taken. The govt’s priority is protection of all its citizens,” he wrote.

President Dr Arif Alvi said that the government would give exemplary punishment to the cruel killers of four persons. In a tweet, the president said the tragic incident of Sahiwal was hurtful and he could not even imagine the traumatic impact on the minds of the children who had seen their parents being killed with their bare eyes.

The president said though the government would fully look after the bereaved children, there can be no alternative to the parents.

Published in Daily Times, January 21^st 2019.