SAHIWAL: Citizens have been asked through a public notice to come forward and record their statements or provide evidence (if they have any) to the judicial inquiry officer with regard to the Sahiwal killings.

The public notice was issued by Judicial Inquiry Officer (JIO) Senior Civil Judge Shakeel Ahmed Goraya, who is probing into the incident.

Elaborating the procedures for recording statement or presenting any kind of evidence, the notice says that those interested could get themselves registered in the JIO’s court on Feb 22-23 till 4pm. Such persons have been asked to bring a copy of their CNIC with them.

“Later his court will call him/her on any fix date for recording of his/her statement”, it says.

According to official sources, the JIO will visit the crime scene near Qadirabad on Lahore-Multan Motorway on February 25, where four persons, including a woman and her 13-year-old daughter were gunned down on Jan 19.

Meanwhile, complainant Muhammad Jalil could not appear before the JIO on Feb 18 to record his statement because of some “health problems”. Later, the court announced Feb 22 as the next hearing date.

The Lahore High Court chief justice had ordered a judicial inquiry into the incident on the request of the victims’ family, appointing SCJ Shakeel Ahmed Goraya as the JIO.

The sources say the JIO has directed Yousafwala police station SHO Imdad Baloch to ensure appearance of Mr Jalil on the next hearing, for which fresh summons have been issued to the concerned parties.

Published in Dawn, February 20th, 2019