Parents, teenage daughter among 4 killed during CTD ‘encounter’ in Sahiwal Even 72 years later, we could not correct any of our country’s institutions
Sahiwal Punjab: (Saturday January 19, 2019) Three family members husband, wife and their teenage daughter and their friend were killed in what the Punjab police officials called a shootout with “terrorists” near Sahiwal. The couple’s minor son sustained a bullet injury while two other daughters remained safe. The family was travelling in a car when the alleged encounter which the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) officials later termed an ‘intelligence-based operation’ took place on GT Road in Qadirabad area near Sahiwal. According to CTD, the operation was conducted on information about the presence of suspected terrorists, provided by the department and an intelligence agency the name of which was not specified.
Eyewitnesses, however, strongly refuted the CTD’s version, telling Dawn News TV that the three family members and their driver were shot dead in “cold blood by the police”. They categorically stated that no weapon was recovered from the vehicle after the alleged shootout.
‘Family killed in cold blood’
Sahiwal incident: Here is what we know so far : Sprayed a car with bullets near Sahiwal, killing four people including a couple their teenage daughter and their driver . The police called it an intelligence based operation against suspected terrorists but three children travelling in the car said the family was travelling to Burewala from Lahore to attend a wedding ceremony.
Passengers
According to reports, The couple identified as Khalil and his wife Nabeela along with their children Areeba, Umair Khalil, Muniba, Hadia and their drive Zeeshan were on board the vehicle when the incident took place near Sahiwal Toll Plaza.
Identities
The deceased were identified as Khalil, Nabeela their teenage daughter Areeba and driver Zeeshan. Umair Khalil, the couple’ son’, sustained bullet wounds while his sister Muniba’s hand was injured with the broken glass of the vehicle. The only person who remained unhurt was identified as Hadia.
Counter-Terrorism Department statements : CTD officials kept changing their statements after the killings; first declaring them child kidnappers, and then dubbing them as terrorists. The CTD claimed that the car riders had opened fire on the raiding party, which had tried to intercept the vehicle as well as a motorcycle on the main road. CTD spokesman said the operation was conducted as follow-up of an action carried out in Faisalabad on Jan 16. “The car was coming from Lahore and the women killed were 40 and 13 years old, respectively.” The CTD also claimed that there were three other suspected terrorists on-the-spot, who managed to escape. “They were identified as Shahid Jabbar, Abdul Rehman and their accomplice,” the CTD spokesperson added. Earlier, the CTD officials claimed that the four people were kidnappers, but later on dubbed them as terrorists.The CTD identified one of the deceased as Zeeshan.
Postmortem examination
According to the postmortem report, driver Zeeshan received 10 bullets; father Khalil 13; mother Nabeela Bibi 4 and 13-year-old Areeba was shot four times. As per the details, Umair Khalil was hit six times in his legs, while his younger sister Muniba was injured after being hit with car mirror when it hit road fence. The youngest one, 4-year-old-Hadia is released from the hospital.
Umair Khalil recounts the incident : Umair
Khalil, son of Khalil, told media that his father had begged CTD personnel to
take money and spare their lives, but they refused and opened fire on the car.
“My papa, mummy, sister and a friend of my father were killed. We survived the
firing,” he said. “We were taken to a petrol station and left there,” he said.
The boy said that they were going to a wedding in Burewala from Lahore when
they were intercepted by the CTD personnel.