Ambulances arrive at the long march to shift injured PTI workers to hospital
The Joint Investigation Team (JIT) constituted by the Punjab government to probe the shooting on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s long march at Wazirabad has halted its probe due to the suspension from service of its head, Lahore Capital City Police Officer Ghulam Mahmood Dogar.
Dogar was suspended from service, and removed as the Punjab capital’s CCPO, after a federal service tribunal reversed an earlier order restoring him to the post following the federal government’s decision to transfer him. The matter would be conclusively decided by a larger bench of the Federal Service Tribunal set to meet on Dec. 5.
According to sources within the police, the JIT has halted its investigation while it awaits new leadership, or a resolution of the controversy surrounding Dogar, with members lamenting that they would be unable to perform their duties for several days until the issue has been resolved.
Dogar was always a controversial choice, as he had been suspended over his failure to prevent PTI rioters from attacking the Governor’s House in Lahore. However, Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi had repeatedly refused to release him to the Establishment Division, maintaining that he would continue to perform his duties.
Meanwhile, police sources said that the JIT had, thus far, failed to find any evidence to support PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s claims of multiple shooters at Wazirabad. Claiming that statements of over 800 police personnel had been recorded already, they said none of them had managed to confirm the presence of another attacker.
However, they said, concrete evidence had been found of one of Khan’s guards opening fire on the crowd while standing atop the container. This individual, they said, would be located through forensic testing of the weapons of all guards. It is likely that the PTI supporter that was killed at Wazirabad was shot by one of the guards, rather than suspect Naveed, who has been in police custody since Nov. 3.
In interrogations Naveed has maintained that he acted alone and was not directed to do so by any individual or group.