Model Town incident: CM claims to be unaware of police action

LAHORE (Web Desk) – Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, on Saturday, said that he was totally unaware of the police action against Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) which resulted in the deaths of 14 workers on June 17, 2014.

The chief minister, who is also blamed for the incident by the victims, appeared before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed to probe into the tragedy to record his statement.

“I found about the police action in the next morning through television”, he said in the statement, “I immediately ordered the police officials to step back from the spot”.

Earlier, former Punjab Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah also appeared before the team to record his statement.

On the other hand PAT is continuing to boycott the proceedings of JIT demanding the government to appoint an official from Khyber Pakhtunwa as head of the team.

An FIR was registered against 21 high profile politicians of Punjab including the sitting Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and several ministers when PAT conducted a two-month long sit in at the constitution avenue in the capital Islamabad.