LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has filed a petition with the Lahore High Court (LHC) against a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe cases lodged against its leaders over the alleged murder of Ali Bilal alias Zille Shah, an attack on police officials, and riots outside the party’s chief residence in Zaman Park last month.
آج جو مسجد اقصیٰ میں ہوا ایسے ہی مناظر لاہور کی سڑکوں پر تھے، ہمیں کہا جا رہا ہے CCPO لاہور کی JIT میں پیش ہوں جو خود ظل شاہ قتل کیس کا مرکزی مجرم ہے وہ تفتیش کرے گا کہ بل شاہ کو کس نے قتل کیا؟ اس JIT کو لاہور ہائیکورٹ میں چیلنج کر دیا ہے
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) April 5, 2023
According to the notification issued by Home been constituted to investigate 10 cases registered against PTI workers and leaders.
SSP Imran Kishwar had been appointed as convener of the team whereas SP Aftab Phulawan will also be included as a member of the squad.
Out of the six-member team, three members will be included from Intelligence Bureau, Inter-Services Intelligence and the Military Intelligence.
The JIT had summoned numerous PTI leaders, including Imran Khan, Fawad Chaudhry, Hammad Azhar, Ejaz Chaudhry, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, Farrukh Habib, Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Dr Yasmin Rashid, and others, to record their statements in the cases. All leaders were required to appear before the JIT at the Lahore CCPO office today (Wednesday).
In response, 11 PTI leaders, including Imran Khan and Fawad Chaudhry, filed a petition through their lawyers Sikandar Zulqarnain and Zafar Iqbal Mangan. The Punjab government and Home Department are named as respondents in the case.
The PTI leaders claimed that the police have registered ten baseless and fake cases against them and that the Punjab home secretary formed the JIT on the orders of the provincial government. They also asserted that they have no knowledge of the specifics of the charges registered against them.
The PTI leaders argue that they have evidence and witnesses in the case related to Zille Shah’s death and have urged the high court to nullify the notification creating the JIT.
