GUJRAT: The three-member inquiry committee formed by the chief minister has recommended the Punjab government to let the police investigation take its own course in the case of a 12-year-old boy’s death during the procession of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif from Islamabad to Lahore.

The committee has also ruled out the involvement of any vehicle from the PML-N chief’s rally in the death of a retired soldier who was hit by an unidentified vehicle while crossing the GT road near Chak Peerana village.

The inquiry committee was headed by Additional Inspector General Abu Bakar Khuda Bakhsh with Kaukab Nadeem Warraich, a retired inspector general of prisons police, and Tahir, additional home secretary, as its members.

They had visited Lalamusa where the child had died on Saturday, and compiled a detailed report of their fact-finding after a daylong probe.

The committee had been tasked with looking into both incidents reported by the media.

A reliable source told Dawn that the committee has pointed out almost the same elements that had been highlighted by the media regarding child Hamid Chughtai’s death. They had also recorded statements of his family and eyewitnesses.

The team recommended the provincial government leave the incident’s outcome to police investigation and let it take its own course.

Moreover, the team also inquired into the matter of 50-year-old retired soldier Khalid Hussain and after thorough probe ascertained that he was hit by a motorcycle rather than a car or jeep from Sharif’s rally.

The source said Hussain’s heirs had pardoned the motorcyclist who had hit the deceased and his death was caused due to a head injury, adding the family did not want legal proceedings against the motorcyclist.

The team has suggested to the government that in the case of boy’s death the driver should be arrested for legal action. The fact-finding report is likely to be presented to the chief minister today (Tuesday).

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2017