Lahore High Court (LHC) instructed Punjab Inspector General of Police Dr. Usman Anwar on Wednesday to explain why in Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) “meets” only the defendants are hit by bullets, while police cars and their inmates remain unharmed.
CTD has faced repeated allegations of “false meetings” in which suspects die under suspicious circumstances.
Chief Justice Aalia Neelum issued the call while hearing Farhat Bibi’s petition claim that her son, Ghazanfar Aslam, was killed in a “false police meeting” on April 22. The petitioner sought protection for his second son, Ansar Aslam, which is detained in Sheikhupura prison. Her lawyer told the court that both Ghazanfar and Ansar were arrested by the Sharaqpur police.
According to CTD’s report, officers drew the suspected van due to a punctured tire. The report claims that as the team approached to investigate, Van’s residents attacked the officers, who then opened fire and hit only the suspects.
Justice Neelum challenged this tale and observed that “How does bullets only find imprisoned, leaving officers and their vehicles untouched?” She noted that the court receives over 40 petitions daily claims with staging detention killings.
CTD has faced repeated allegations of “false meetings” in which suspects die under suspicious circumstances. The petries claim a pattern of depot deaths and seek legal supervision to protect restrained rights.
Although she expressed unlimited satisfaction with the written report, Chief Justice Igp Anwar ordered a comprehensive review of recent CTD operations and suggest measures to prevent future abuse.
