Sahiwal killings: ATC acquits all accused CTD personnel.

LAHORE -- A special bench of an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Thursday acquitted six officials of the Punjab Police's Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) who were accused in the brutal murder of four people, including a woman and a minor.

Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta gave the police officials the benefit of doubt. The verdict was delivered after recording statements from 49 witnesses, including the brother of one of the victims.

The suspects Safdar Hussain, Ahsan Khan, Ramzan, Saifullah, Hasnain and Nasir Nawaz appeared before the court.

The court dismissed the statements given by 49 witnesses including the victim Zeeshan's brother Ehtisham and victim's Khalil's children. The witnesses refused to identify the suspects before the court.

The court issued its verdict after holding hearings for the case for nine months.

The accused - namely Safdar Hussain, Ahsan Khan, Ramzan, Saifullah, Hasnain and Nasir Nawaz - had shot dead a couple, Khalil and Nabeela, their daughter Areeba, and another man named Zeeshan on January 19 this year.

Khalil, his wife and their four children were traveling with Zeeshan when the CTD personnel stopped their car near Sahiwal Toll Plaza on GT Road and opened fire, later claiming that they were targeting suspected terrorists.

Khalil and Nabeela's other three minor children - Umair...

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