ISLAMABAD: The Interior Ministry has issued written instructions to the concerned authorities to file an appeal for challenging the acquittal of suspects in Sahiwal fake encounter case, ARY News reported on Friday.

Following the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan, the interior ministry released written instructions in a letter, a copy of which obtained by ARY News, sent to Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) and provincial chief secretary to file an appeal against the verdict in Sahiwal’s fake encounter case.

The letter stated that the prosecution was failed to prove the involvement of suspects in the case as the witnesses had not recorded their statements over the occurrence of the incident.

“This sets a deplorable and shocking precedent where state machinery colluding to hinder the dispensation of justice to the victims,” it added.

Read: Govt to challenge acquittal of suspects in Sahiwal ‘encounter’ case

The ministry ordered the concerned authorities to immediately following the steps ordered by the premier for filing an appeal for challenging the verdict to bring the culprits to justice through holding the prosecution department responsible to establish their case by genuine witnesses.

It is directed to constitute a high-powered committee to probe and identify the flaws in the investigation and prosecution.

“The Committee should also identify perpetrators of omissions and commissions within different organs of the state whose actions/inactions benefited the suspects. Specific recommendations should be submitted to rectify such flaws in the system and to dispense justice to the victims of the tragedy,” stated the letter.

Read: ‘Benefit of doubt’: Court acquits all suspects in Sahiwal encounter case

The concerned authorities have been directed to submit a ‘compliance report’ to the PM Office and Interior Ministry within three days.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Imran Khan ordered the Punjab government to challenge the verdict announced by a special anti-terrorism court (ATC) acquitting all suspects in the Sahiwal ‘encounter’ case.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan tweeted on Friday that the prime minister has also instructed the authorities to investigate weaknesses and shortfalls in the case.

In a subsequent tweet, Awan said that the whole country had seen the video of the parents being shot in front of their children. “The government is committed to providing justice to [these] innocent children. If their family doesn’t become the plaintiff, then the state will act as the plaintiff in the case.”

Read: Sahiwal encounter: ‘We are not satisfied with JIT probe,’ says Khalil’s brother

ATC’s verdict

A day earlier, the ATC had acquitted all six suspects in the case of killing four persons in an alleged encounter earlier this year. Six accused namely, Safdar, Ahsan, Saifullah, Husnain and Nasir were acquitted due to lack of evidence giving them the benefit of doubt.

During hearings of the case, the court had recorded statements of 49 witnesses, including close relatives of a victim Zeeshan and another victim Mohammad Khalil.

The Sahiwal tragedy

In January, four people, including two women, were killed in a shady encounter involving the Punjab police’s counter-terrorism department (CTD) on a highway in the Qadirabad area of Sahiwal district on Saturday noon.

The CTD officials maintained that a car was signalled to stop along with a bike near Sahiwal Toll Plaza but the alleged terrorists resorted to firing, adding that three terrorists were able to flee away. “This incident was a continuity of the Jan 16 operation carried out in Faisalabad.”

The victims were identified as grocery store owner Mohammad Khalil, his wife Nabila, their 13-year-old daughter Areeba and their friend who was driving the car, Zeeshan Javed. Their son Umair Khalil sustained bullet wounds while his sister Muniba’s hand also sustained gunshot-related injuries and Hadiba, their younger sister remained unhurt.

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