Model Town tragedy: LHC suspends trial court’s order

LHC suspends the ATC order of removing anti-terrorism clauses from the Model Town massacre case

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court suspended on Friday the anti-terrorism court’s order of removing anti-terrorism clauses from the Model Town massacre case.

An LHC division bench headed by Justice Sardar Muhammad Shamim Khan passed this order on an appeal filed by the Punjab prosecution department against the ATC’s decision.

A deputy prosecutor stated before the court the Pakistan Awami Tehreek workers were involved in attacking police personnel on June 17, 2014.

One policeman had died during the attack while dozens of others received critical injuries, he said. The prosecutor said the trial court allowed an application of PAT and removed ATA sections from the case.

He termed the verdict ‘unfair’ that should be struck down.However, the LHC bench suspended the trial court order and also stopped it from transferring the case to an ordinary court. The bench has also sought a reply from the Tahirul Qadri-led PAT by April 17.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 25^th, 2017.