Lahore April 7 (TNS): Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Saturday gave four-day time to Punjab Inspector General Police Arif Nawaz to arrest the killers of journalist Zeeshan Butt, who was killed in Sialkot a few days back allegedly by a councilor belonging to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.
During the hearing, the Punjab top cop pleaded that the police should be given at least a week-time time to arrest the killers, but the chief justice flatly refused the request and ordered the police to arrest the murders immediately and try them in the anti-terrorism court.
The chief justice inquired from the IG what was stopping him from arresting the culprits who belong to the ruling party and influential. The chief justice made it clear that how influential they may be, the should be brought to the book
Earlier, the chief justice had sought a report from the Punjab Inspector General about the cold-blooded murder of the journalist.
Zeeshan Butt, who was associated with daily Nawa-e-Waqt, was allegedly killed in the Sambadyal area of Sialkot on March 27 by Union Council Chairman Imran Cheema and his men after the journalist ran an expose about the councilor’s alleged embezzlement of funds.
In an audiotape, the late journalist could be heard alerting the district officials about the death threats which Cheema had allegedly hurled at him. During the conversation, crackles of gunshots could be heard before the journalist fell silent.
In the audiotape conversation District Council Chairperson Hina Arshad Waraich, the journalist could be heard as saying that he wanted to inquire about the newly imposed taxes on shop owners. The journalist, who was complaining to Warraich about the threats issued by Cheema, could not complete his conversation before he sustained three bullets from the attacker and died on the spot.
