Taking a bitter pill

PTI leaders appear before JIT probing assassination attempt on Imran Khan

Lahore: In a significant move, senior leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have started appearing and recording their statements before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT).

The police are investigating the assassination attempt on the life of the former prime minister and PTI chairperson Imran Khan in Wazirabad.

The PTI has been rejecting the FIR and subsequent formation of the JIT on the assassination attempt of November 3 this year, arguing instead that the FIR was not registered on their complaint. Rather, the police itself registered the FIR making a sub-inspector the complainant.

PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) have a joint coalition government in Punjab. This coalition was formed after the turn of events that took place in the country when Imran Khan was ousted from the PM office.

According to PTI sources, the former Punjab governor and incumbent Advisor to Punjab Chief Minister on Interior Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid, Zubair Khan Niazi and Umar Farooq have recorded their statements before the JIT. So far, around 100 people, mainly police personnel including DPO Gujrat and RPO Gujrat have recorded their statements before the JIT.

According to sources privy to the matter, over 500 policemen were deployed on November 3 when the accused Naveed opened fire on the rally of PTI at Wazirabad. Over a dozen PTI leaders including Imran Khan had suffered injuries besides a man who lost his life due to the incident.

Police had arrested Naveed from the crime scene when he was trying to flee after the firing at the PTI rally. The five-member JIT of senior police officers headed by CCPO Lahore Additional IG Ghulam Mahmood Dogar had summoned several PTI leaders to record their statements. Among those included former federal minister and ‘disgruntled’ PTI leader Faisal Vawda, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid, former federal minister Hammad Azhar, former Sindh governor Imran Ismail, Senator Faisal Javed, Advisor to CM Cheema, Zubair Niazi and Umar Farooq.

The statements of Imran Khan and other key witnesses including Imran Ismail and Senator Faisal Javed have not been recorded as yet.  The JIT has been investigating the three accused — Naveed, Waqas and Sajid — for the past month at the CTD in the Chung area. The investigation is led by CCPO Dogar while Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Director Anwar Shah, AIG Ihsan Ullah Chohan, SP Tariq Mahboob and Inspector Munir are also members of the JIT.

Soon after the incident, the PTI filed a complaint with Wazirabad Police to register a murder attempt case against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and a senior military official. The complaint was filed by Zubair Khan Niazi but the police registered the FIR two weeks after the incident when the Supreme Court intervened in the matter and ordered the registration of the case.

Police registered the FIR against Naveed and other co-accused under several sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), due to which the formation of a JIT became mandatory. As per the ATA law, the JIT must have the representation of the officials from intelligence agencies including Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB).

However, no member could be included in the incumbent JIT. The very fact was also highlighted by the federal government while raising objections on the composition of the JIT.

Police officials say Faisal Vawda was also summoned by the JIT but he didn’t appear. Vawda had claimed about ‘bloodshed’ during the PTI long march days before it started in Lahore.

Speaking to Bol News, Vawda commented he was summoned by the JIT but he couldn’t appear as he was travelling. “I will definitely appear and record my statement soon. I will share whatever I know.”

Advocate Jawad Zafar stated that he wouldn’t recommend Imran Khan to record his statement before this JIT as it was based on the FIR which we had rejected then and there.

“I’m helping PTI with legal advice in various matters. I think the former premier should not join the investigations of the JIT. We rejected this FIR. How can we join its proceedings now? It would damage our whole case.”

According to Zafar, they have challenged the registration of the FIR before various courts including the apex court.

“And we’re waiting for the outcome of those complaints. If we don’t get any relief, then we may file a private complaint before the Session Court of Wazirabad for redressal of our grievances.”

The advocate further said, “If Khan sahib appears before the JIT, then our very premise would die its own death that the FIR registered by the State was illegal.”

He [Imran Khan] should not appear before the JIT at all, he asserted.

Responding to a query about the legality of the JIT, Zafar added that he can’t comment on this unless he got a clue about what PTI leaders have told the JIT.

“It is possible that these leaders might have told the JIT that they don’t consider it as legal so they wouldn’t cooperate unless their genuine issue is resolved through courts.”

On the other hand, senior Advocate Syed Farhad Ali Shah said it was binding upon the JIT to record the statement of Imran Khan, a major victim in this case.

“JIT should summon Khan and if he refuses, then JIT members should themselves go to Zaman Park to record his statement. Without the statement of Imran Khan, the proceedings of JIT hold no ground.”

Shah also said the appearance of PTI leaders before the JIT and the recording of their statements would surely weaken their case about the registration of the FIR.