LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar was informed by Punjab Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Arif Nawaz Khan on Saturday that the suspects involved in the murder of journalist Zeeshan Butt belong to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
The chief justice gave four days to the IGP to arrest the killers of Sialkot-based journalist Zeeshan Butt.
As the Supreme Court (SC) hearing of the suo motu case resumed, the Punjab IGP requested the court to grant the police a week to arrest the murderers. However, the CJP rejected the IG’s request and ordered him to arrest the accused within four days and launch an inquiry against them under the anti-terrorism act.
“With which party are the suspects affiliated with and who is supporting them?” the CJP asked the IGP.
Justice Aijaz ul Hassan inquired whether the names of the suspects have been placed on the Exit Control List (ECL) to which the IG responded in the affirmative.
“I had to hold a hearing in Karachi registry on Saturday but will now be in Lahore for this case,” said the CJP.
On Friday, the CJP constituted a special two-member bench to hear Zeeshan Butt’s murder case.
Butt, a print journalist associated with a Lahore-based newspaper, was murdered on March 27 in the Union Council (UC) office of Sambrial tehsil of Sialkot. His family has accused UC Chairman Imran Cheema of killing the journalist. Cheema, a member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is absconding since the murder took place.
The journalist had visited Cheema’s office to inquire about taxes levied on shop owners in Begowala Union Council, according to an audiotape of his last telephonic conversation with District Council Chairperson Hina Arshad Warraich. Butt can be heard telling the chairperson that Cheema had threatened to kill him. However, he could not complete the conversation as someone opened fire on him, the sound of which is clearly audible in the recording.
Reportedly, the deceased and the accused had a prior enmity as well after they contested municipal elections against each other.
