ISLAMABAD – A five member-bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar will hear the case pertaining to the Model Town incident on Wednesday.
The apex court has forwarded notices to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders, as it was the ruling party in the province and centre in 2014 when the killings took place.
Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, former chief minister Punjab Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza Shehbaz, Saad Rafique, Chaudhry Nisar, Pervez Rashid, Khawaja Asif, Abid Sher Ali and Rana Sanaullah have been issued notices.
Moreover, Attorney General Punjab Ahmed Awais was also sent a notice by the apex court that has now taken up the Model Town case.
The Supreme Court had constituted a larger bench on November 19th for the formation of a new joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the Model Town case.
Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief, Dr Tahirul Qadri had asked the supreme court to form a new Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the team.
In the Model Town killings, at least 14 people were shot dead and 100 others were left injured in police action against Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers in Lahore’s Model Town area during an ‘anti-encroachment operation’ on June 17, 2014.
Following the incident, an inquiry commission, comprising Justice Ali Baqar Najafi, was formed. The Punjab government was reluctant to make the inquiry report public but it later released the report following the orders of the Lahore High Court (LHC).
The report has not held any person squarely responsible for the incident. During the investigation, the statements of different police officials and the provincial cabinet members including provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah were recorded.
The commission observed: “The level of cooperation in digging out the truth is that no police official from top to bottom, whether actively participated in the operation or not, did utter a single word about the person under whose command the police resorted to firing upon the PAT workers.”
