‘Opposition parties united over Model Town’

Tahirul Qadri says ‘killers’ will be forced to resign if they don’t step down

LAHORE: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Chief Dr Tahirul Qadri has said that all opposition parties were united over the Model Town tragedy and were standing with the families of the victims.

“Negative propaganda or reprisal cannot hinder the struggle for justice,” he said. “Legal, political and popular sections must reject every nonsensical translation of the Justice Baqar Najfi report by the rulers,” he added. Speaking at a meeting of lawyers and senior party leaders, he said representatives of the legal fraternity will participate in the lawyer’s convention on December 14 from across Pakistan.

Lahore High Court rejected the narrative of Shehbaz’s government and said it would be better if the CM and Rana Sanaullah stepped down voluntarily. “Otherwise, these killers would be forced to resign,” he said in an earlier statement during a meeting with leaders of different political parties. The main issue under discussion was the Model Town Incident.



He said that every leader had extended unconditional support to PAT’s stance over the issue.

“The Justice Baqar Najfi commission has unmasked the role of Shehbaz Sharif and Rana Sanaullah, despite the latter doing everything to curtail the powers of the commission, he added.

He said that facts of Justice Baqar Najfi report had made Shehbaz Sharif sleepless as he cannot negate the facts mentioned in the report.

He said that he was looking forward to the formation of Panama-like JIT. “Once such a JIT is formed, Nawaz Sharif will also be held accountable as it was though his approval that Mushtaq Sukhera was brought from Quetta to Lahore,” he added.



He said that those police officers who were involved in the Model Town incident and were still under trial in an anti-terrorist court must speak the truth instead of becoming scapegoats.

He said killers did their best to lure, harass and even terrorise families of the victims, but failed. “Now their grace period is over,” he added.

On June 17, 2014, in police action against PAT during an anti-encroachment operation outside the residence of party chief Dr Tahirul Qadri, 14 workers died as a result of police action. More than 80 individuals were left injured.



“The masses cannot be served justice until the reign of barbarity comes to an end,” he said, referring to the provincial government’s alleged role in the incident, Express News reported. Qadri, however, appreciated the court’s decision, terming it a positive step towards justice. “Several steps are still needed to be taken for justice.”

He urged Shehbaz Sharif and Rana Sana to present themselves for accountability, adding that if they delayed further, the agitation campaign would be intensified.

The PAT leader again stressed on the need to set up a separate JIT to investigate the Model Town incident on the pattern of the one formed to probe the Panama Papers.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 12^th, 2017.