Before adjourning the hearing to February 02, the Chief Justice observed that a division bench would proceed further in the matter since the FIR had been lodged under the provision of Anti-Terrorism Act 1997. Earlier, the Chief Justice while expressing serious concern over the killings of innocent family members in the Sahiwal incident, asked the IGP to refer to any law which allowed the personnel of Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) to open straight fire on citizens. There was no such law, the IGP replied.
The Chief Justice at this ordered the IGP to issue a direction to all regional and district police officers that no such callous act by would be repeated in future. One of the petitioners, Advocate Safdar Shaheen Pirzada told the court that at least 16 personnel were involved in the Sahiwal killings but the police arrested only six of them.
He also complained that the police had not recorded statements of the eye witnesses. IGP Saleemi stated that the personnel of the CTD had been arrested and others suspended in light of an initial report by a Joint Investigation Team (JIT).
He said challan will be submitted before an ATC after competition of the investigation. To a court's query, he said it will take 30 days to complete the investigation. The Chief Justice directed the IGP to ensure that the JIT shall collect all available evidence and submit challan within the stipulated time period. As many as four persons including two parents and their teenaged daughter were gunned down by the CTD personnel during an alleged encounter in Sahiwal.