The Caretaker Punjab government on Thursday formed multiple different Joint Investigation Teams (JIT) to probe the Jaranwala incidents from various angles, including terrorism, arson, damage to public property and blasphemy, among others.
According to orders issued by the Punjab Home Department Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Shakeel Ahmed, a copy of which is available with The Friday Times, letters were issued to create as many as 10 JITs.
The JITs were formed under section 19 (1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997 to conduct and finalize investigations in cases, including FIRs 1260-63/23 dated August 16, 2023, apart from FIRs 467/23 dated August 17, 1270-1280 dated August 21 apart from FIRs 1294 and 1295-1898 dated August 22.
The cases were filed under section 7 of the Anti-Terror Act: Punishment for acts of terrorism.
Relevant clauses of the section include 'D' - grievous damage to property is caused, shall be punishable on conviction, with imprisonment, of either description for a term not less than ten years and not exceeding 1[but may extend to imprisonment for life] and shall also be liable to a fine;
G - The act of terrorism committed falls under section 6 (2) (f) and (g) shall be punishable, on conviction, with imprisonment of not less than 1[two years] and not more than 1[five years] and with fine
H - The act of terrorism committed falls under clauses (h) to (n) of sub-section (2) of section 6, shall be punishable on conviction, to imprisonment of not less than 1[five years] but may 1[extend to imprisonment for life] and with fine;
Other sections included those of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), including for arson and property damage, including section 436: Mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy a house, etc.: Whoever commits mischief by fire or any explosive substance, intending to cause, or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby cause, the destruction of any building which is ordinarily used as a place of worship or as a human dwelling or as a place for the custody of property shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which [shall not be less than three years or more than] ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Section 452: Trespassing into someone's home: House-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint: Whoever commits house trespass having made preparation for causing hurt to any person or for assaulting any person, or for wrongfully restraining any person, or for putting any person in fear of hurt, or of assault, or of wrongful restraint, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Section 427 - causing damage to property: Mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees - Whoever commits mischief and thereby causes loss or damage to the amount of fifty rupees or upwards shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
Section 148 - rioting with a deadly weapon: Whoever is guilty of rioting, being armed with a deadly weapon or with anything which, used as a weapon of offence, is likely to cause death, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
Section 149 - unlawful assembly involved in criminal activity: If an offence is committed by any member of an unlawful assembly in prosecution of the common object of that assembly, or such as the members of that assembly knew to be likely to be committed in prosecution of that object, every person who, at the time of the committing of that offence, is a member of the same assembly, is guilty of that offence.
Section 324 - attempted murder: Whoever does any act with such intention or knowledge, and under such circumstances, that, if he by that act caused qatl, he would be guilty of qatl-i-amd, shall be punished with imprisonment for either description for a term which may extend to ten years [but shall not be less than five years if the offence has been committed in the name or on the pretext of honour], and shall also be liable to fine, and, if hurt is caused to any person by such act, the offender shall, in addition to the imprisonment and fine as aforesaid, be liable to the punishment provided for the hurt caused: Provided that where the punishment for the hurt is qisas which is not executable, the offender shall be liable to arsh and may also be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years.
Section 353 - assault or force preventing a public servant from discharging duties: Whoever assaults or uses criminal force to any person being a public servant in the execution of his duty as such public servant, or with intent to prevent or deter that person from discharging his duty as such public servant, or in consequence of anything done or attempted to be done by such person in the lawful discharge of his duty as such public servant, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine or with both.
Section 186 - obstructing a public servant from performing their public functions: Whoever voluntarily obstructs any public servant in the discharge of his public functions shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three months or with a fine which may extend to 68[one thousand five hundred rupees] 68, or with both.
Section 153-A - promoting enmity between different groups: Whoever
(a) by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representations or otherwise, promotes or incites, or attempts to promote or incite, on the grounds of religion, race, place of both, residence. Language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever; disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities; or
(b) commits, or incites any other person to commit, any act which is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities or any group of persons identifiable as such on any ground whatsoever and which disturbs or is likely to disturb public tranquillity; or
(c) organizes, or incites any other person to organize, and exercise, movement, drill or other similar activity intending that the participants in any such activity shall use or be trained to use criminal force or violence or knowing it to be likely that the participants in any such activity will use or be trained to use criminal force or violence or participates, or incites any other person to participate, in any such activity intending to use or be trained to use criminal force or violence or knowing it to be likely that the participants in any such activity will use or be trained, to use criminal force or violence, against any religious, racial, language or regional group or caste of community or any group of persons identifiable as such on any ground whatsoever and any such activity for any reason whatsoever cause or is likely to cause fear or alarm or a feeling of insecurity amongst members of such religious, racial, language or regional group or caste or community. Shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years and with a fine.
Section 295 - blasphemy by desecrating place of worship: Whoever destroys, damages or defiles any place of worship, or any object held sacred by any class of persons with the intention of thereby insulting the religion of any class of persons or with the knowledge that any class of persons is likely to consider such destruction damage or defilement as an insult to their religion. Shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
Section 295-A - Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting Its religion or religious beliefs: Whoever, with deliberate and malicious intention of outraging the 'religious feelings of any class of the citizens of Pakistan, by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representations insults the religion or the religious beliefs of that class, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, or with fine, or with both.
Sections under the Punjab Sound System (Regulation) Act 2015 were also implemented for using loudspeakers to gather and incite crowds.
The FIRs were registered in the City and Sadr police stations of Jaranwala, District Faisalabad.
JIT composition
The JITs are led by either the Faisalabad SSP investigation, or the Faisalabad Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) RO or Faisalabad Special Branch RO, SSP RIB, or Iqbal Division SP, or Faislabad Sadar Division SP.
Members of these JITs include SP Madina Division, Faisalabad, DSP CIA, Faisalabad, Inspector CIA Faisalabad, Sub-Inspector CIA Faisalabad and any other co-opted member.
"The convener of the JIT shall depute one of the members of JIT for the purpose of submission of the report u/s 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code, 1898, as required under section 19(1) of ATA-1997," the orders read.
JIT composition for FIR No. 1261/23
JIT formed for FIR 1261/23 comprises RO, CTD Faisalabad as convener, and members include SP Madina Division, Faisalabad, DSP AVLS Faisalabad, Inspector District Police Line, Faisalabad, Sub-Inspector District Police Line, Faisalabad and any co-opted member.
JIT composition for FIR No. 1262/23
As per the orders of ACS Home, the JIT for FIR 1262/23 comprises SSP/RO, CTD Faisalabad as Convener, and members include SSP Layalpur Division, DSP CIA, Inspector, District Police Line, Sub-Inspector District Police Line, Faisalabad and one co-opted member.
JIT composition for FIR No. 1263/23
JIT for FIR 1263/23 has the same composition as 1262/23 with one change in sub-inspector Millat Town replacing SI District Police Line.
JIT composition for FIR No. 467/23
The JIT comprises RO, Special Branch, Faisalabad as Convener, and members include SP. Iqbal Division, Faisalabad, DSP AVLS, Faisalabad, Inspector, District Police Line, Faisalabad Member, Sub-Inspector, PS Khurrianwala, Faisalabad and Any co-opted Member.
JIT formed to probe FIR Nos. 1270/23-1273/23
The joint investigation team comprises SSP/ RIB Faisalabad as Convener
and members include DSP CTD, Faisalabad, DSP RIB, Faisalabad, IP Incharge (investigation), PS Baloch, Faisalabad, SI Rodala Road, Faisalabad and any co-opted member.
JIT formed to probe FIR Nos. 1274/23-1276/23
The joint investigation team for these FIRs include SSP (investigation), Faisalabad as Convener, and the members include DSP CTD, Faisalabad, DSP Inv-1, Faisalabad, Inspector/SHO, PS Sadar, Faisalabad, Sub-inspector, PS Knurrianwala, Faisalabad and any co-opted member.