A policeman fires a tear gas round towards supporters of Tahirul Qadri during clashes in Lahore. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
LAHORE: The Inspector General Punjab on Saturday told Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in a letter that he cannot arrest the policemen responsible for firing at Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers during the Model Town incident, Express News reported.
In his letter to the chief minister, IG Punjab stated that those policemen were simply "following someone's orders", adding that he could not arrest them for doing that.
The IG did not specify whose orders they were following.
Meanwhile, a list of the policemen who used their weapons during the clash is being compiled. According to sources, footage of the incident was acquired from private channels and is being used to identify those who opened fire.
In Tuesday's clash between police and PAT supporters, ten people, including two women, were killed and over 80 others were injured. The bloodshed took place outside the Central Secretariat of Minhajul Quran International in the Model Town neighbourhood of Lahore. The clashes erupted in the early hours of June 17 and continued for up to 14 hours.
The confrontation began when a 15-member police team tried to remove barriers outside the PAT leader Dr Tahirul Qadri’s residence and Adara Minhajul Quran’s Central Secretariat in Model Town Colony.
COMMENTS (43)
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@Ch. Allah Daad Now I am certain that GULUs are widely available in PML- Nasebol Lal
DISCLOSING THE NAME FO PERSON WHO WAS GIVING ORDERS ! De-Facto CM of Punjab - You better Know the name.
Someone is HS and CM is depressed, consequence are to follow, agencies have proof on this but not yet delivered.
@ModiFied:::Agreed.We are still facing the legacy of pre and post British Raj.I feel deeply frightened and humiliated just like our elders did during The Raj era
British said the same thing when Dyer shot innocent people in Jalian wala Bhagh in Amritsar. It seems Pakistan is still running under the shadow of British repressive law. CM Punjab must take responsibility and resign for the sake of democracy. I find no difference between CM and for president Musharrf who ordered bombing of Nawab Bughti. Arrogance of power and nothing else.
@Sodomite: If IG can not name that person who gave the order to fire, then arrest this IG. Not only arrest him but confiscate all the assets under his and his family name. Put him in jail for rest of his life. Make an example out of his denial. This should be a solitary confinement for rest of his life.
@Ch. Allah Daad: I know about KPK, all is well there. At least the police over there have the conscience not to open fire on unarmed civilians especially women, elders and children, even when they are ordered to do so...
The IG must know that it is incumbent on him NOT TO FOLLOW an illegal order......and firing on unarmed women and civilians can be construed as an illegal order. Simple humanity forbids.
After all the mayhem that lasted more than 20 hours did the police accomplish the job they had gone there for.I see the barriers still lying where they were before the bloodshed
@Ch. Allah Daad: How much are you paid to favor PMLN here on ET?
or they can go play with the high rollers?
While the videos of brutality by Punjab police is horrifying, it baffles me to see that a Canadian citizen whose party does not have any elected representative, has so much influence in Pakistan that he can demand change of its constitution. Pakistan is a strange country and they do not know what religion is or what its proper place should be.
@Dani....... Additional IG Welfare & Finance Dr Arif Mushtaq has been appointed head of the committee ..... Mr Mushtaq was a relative of a federal minister.
People are talking about killings of innocent followers. They do not consider the real background of this incident. The culprit can be reached if we try to find who is the real beneficiary in this episode.
ET you should have bribed the IG police to get whose orders were they following :P
Ishaq Khan @Ch. Allah Daad. That all you have to say, reading your comments it is the first time I can feel you are helpless.
Those who are commenting here and indirectly laying the blame on Sharif brothers should look at KP and what is happening over there. Taliban Khan's government is a total failure. He go play cricket with his supporters.
Beside to be interesting who this/these "someone" is/are, it is still the individual policeman/gullu butt who pulled the trigger. All should be arrested and justice should be preserved. If possible...
@Sodomite: Gullu Butt's orders
One of the hundreds on Narinder Modi in Pakistan. Shame.
Why is he afraid. He should have given the name of ordering authority. We want to see real culprits behind bars
The person, who brought in the new IG because the previous IG was too soft to handle "law and order" situation, is the same person who gave the orders.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/722019/reshuffle-punjab-police-chief-and-lahore-dco-replaced/
This is the problem with PML N.
They should back the police for taking action against miscreants instead of being wishy-washy. The miscreants had attacked the police first and wounded 20 policemen.
Of course they were following Gulu Butt's orders...
They were following "Gullu Butt's" instructions.
IG has no choice but to name the person on whose order the bloodshade took place and arrest the stupid police officers and police personal who blindly executed the illegal order....there is no other option for him
Who was directing the command? DSP Operations?
No MR IG all you're responsible for this, if someone order you to do something against the constitution and against the law so you people also should get punished. You can say no to any this kind of orders which are unconstitutional and against the law.
the bugs stops at the TOP.
Someone's order... Does our IG police know that following such order also places blame on him, his policemen. Read your history gentlemen, Hitler's order were followed, Hitler committed suicide, and his followers who followed were taken to Nuremberg and tried, and hanged.
History has a wonderful way of repeating itself, doesn't it. Right now sacrifice has been made in the name of Rana Sanullah. Let's see who else falls.
Police should have the courage to say no to such order. They need to be remind that they are not private security force of CM, but to serve and protect the citizens.
IG sahib...have the courage and let all know who gave this order, and immediately resign. People will bless you and will appreciate your courage here. And with this selfless act, your honor will be restored.
If this not another game of PMLN then IG should start counting his days.
IG should name that 'someone' or else he will be considered responsible and should be arrested.
Someone's instruction? I wonder who that someone is
It was also someone who order them to violently beat public, loot and destroy public property and bring private militia (Gullu Butt). Mr. IG your police has poor-mentality and poor-training. They play with lives and self-esteem of public. Do something for their training and welfare.
Well looks like some "Na-maloom fard" was giving orders to fire at the protesters.
hmm I wonder WHO?
The IG is right, first police is given orders to shoot and if they do, they are balmed for it. although it was immoral of the IG as well that he allowed that to happen in his command.
When the IG knows who issued those orders why is he keeping mum ? If he conspires to conceal, he should be charged by default
I still donot understand why the fact that cm shahbaz sharif is also the interior minister of the province, not being highlighted in the current debate. After all the security of the province and its residents is the direct responsibility of the ministry of interior. And thus also makes the said minister liable to accountability if not outright prosecution.
policemen were simply “following someone’s orders”, Shoot to kill orders? Interesting!
True ... Now let's talk about that "someone" !!!
Who is this "someone" in the chain of command that even supersedes the IG Punjab. I would like to know and not guess.