GUJRANWALA, Oct 21: The police action in Sialkot jail on July 25, 2003, was not a rescue mission but a killing operation during which four civil judges died while several others injured.

This was stated by former sessions judge, Sialkot, Ch Zafar Husain, while recording his statement as a witness before the anti-terrorism court No 1 here on Friday.

Hussain said that he had conveyed the LHC chief justice order to the police that operation should not be started, but they did not bother.

He defended his visit to the jail along with a large number of law officers and said that he had informed the acting jail superintendent regarding the visit. He said when the culprits held the judges hostage, the assistant superintendents of jail escaped from the scene.

Husain accused the investigation team of misplacing important record in the case.