VEHARI: Traders and lawyers observed strike on Monday against the killing of four people by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police in Sahiwal on Friday.

In Burewala, markets and bazaars remained closed. Traders Jamil Bhatti, Arshad Bhatti, Chaudhry Sarwar, Shakil Raza, Rao Khalil, Tariq, Tufail Warraich and Rafiq Chaudhry condemned the killings. They said the government had failed to protect the people while Punjab had become police state.

The incident exposed the government. They demanded the arrest of the CTD officials involved in the killing of the people, who were coming to Burewala to attend a wedding ceremony.

Lawyers in Vehari, Burewala, and Mailsi observed complete strike against the incident. Vehari Bar Association President Shakil Tararr, and Secretary Ali Ejaz Chaudhry, demanded strict action against CTD officials responsible for the Sahiwal killings. They also condemned the statement by Punjab Law Minister Raja Basharat who declared car driver Zeeshan a militant.

TOBA TEK SINGH: On the call of the Punjab Bar Council to condemn the CTD encounter complete strike was observed by lawyers in Kamalia, Gojra and Pirmahal on Monday.

General body meetings were also held in bar rooms where bar office bearers and senior lawyers demanded in their speeches immediate arrest of the accused killer CTD men.

SIALKOT: Lawyers in Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial, Pasrur, Zafarwal and Shakargarh boycotted local courts to lodge their strong protest against the nasty Sahiwal tragedy.

Addressing a condolence meeting of the Sialkot lawyers held at Sialkot District Bar Association, President Chaudhry Muhammad Raza strongly condemned the brutal killings of the family.

IJT: The Islami Jamiat Tulba (IJT) took out a procession from the Shaikh Zayad Hospital to Faisal Auditorium of Punjab University to protest against the Sahiwal incident.

The activists were carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans against the police officials involved in killing four people including two women in Sahiwal.

The nazim said that a judicial commission should be constituted to probe into the incident and action should be taken against the policemen involved in the incident.

He said the incidents of violence by the police showed that the government had not learnt any lesson from the previous one.Students continued to chant slogans against the police atrocities and demanded of the government to end corruption, injustice and torture from police stations.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2019