Daily Times

Continuing the debate in National Assembly over Sahiwal tragedy in which Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) personnel had killed four people, Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari said that a first information report (FIR) under terrorism clauses has been lodged against 16 people of the police force.

Speaking on the floor of the Lower House, she said that 16 CTD personnel involved in the incident have been apprehended. She said that 10 of the CTD officials were in uniform while six had been in plainclothes. She said the FIR lodged over the incident includes Section 302 and 7-ATA.

Taking part in the debate, Rai Murtaza Iqbal said provision of security is the sole responsibility of the State. He said the Sahiwal case should be tried either in a military court or sent for summary trial to be decided within three months.

Chaudhry Ashraf said strict action should be taken against those responsible for the incident. He regretted that the protectors had become killers on the innocent people.

Syed Khurshid Shah said killing people in the name of countering terrorism was unacceptable. He said the Punjab government badly failed to protect people’s lives. “On one side, provincial government claims that they were terrorists but has also announced compensation for the deceased family. How the government can announce compensation for terrorists?” he questioned.

Shehnaz Baloch said better training should be given to the law enforcement agencies to prevent such kind of incidents in future.

Saif-ur-Rehman said independent probe should be carried out into the matter to fix the responsibility. The government should take it as a test case and set an example so as to avoid such incidents in future, he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan said the government would protect rights of the working journalists. Responding to a walkout of journalists from Parliament’s Press Gallery, he assured the media persons that issues being faced by them would be sorted out and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry will meet them very soon.

The minister said that he met working journalists and got information regarding their issues. He said some journalists were being deprived of their jobs, while some of them have not been paid their salaries for last many months.

Published in Daily Times, January 23^rd 2019.