ISLAMABAD: Chairman of the Senate’s Standing Committee on Interior Rehman Malik Saturday refuted the claims that the families of those killed in the Sahiwal encounter were called to here by the committee.

Addressing a press conference here, Rehman Malik said, “No official notice by the committee secretary was issued to the families of Sahiwal victims to attend the meeting of the committee, which was held on 25th January.”  He said a questionnaire was sent to the Secretary Interior on 22nd January, containing some 42 questions, including details of the family members of Sahiwal victims, so that proper notices could be issued to them for their points of view and written statements in next meeting of the committee.  Malik said since it was important to know the viewpoint of bereaved families of Sahiwal incident, therefore, they would be certainly invited to appear before the committee to record their statements.

In that regard, a proper official notice would be issued to the families to attend the committee meeting, he added.  He said that the victim families and local councilors would be issued notices to attend the meeting of the committee next week. Members of the National and Punjab assemblies belonging to the area would also attend the meeting as special invitees for their input, he added. He said the Pakistan Army, police and other law enforcement agencies were fighting the war against terrorism and had rendered countless sacrifices. He said the Senate committee was monitoring the investigation process and waiting for the final report of the Joint Investigation Team into the Sahiwal incident.