2014 incident: LHC forms full bench on Model Town massacre

Headed by Justice Qasim Khan, the bench takes up the case today

LAHORE: Chief Justice of Lahore High Court (LHC) Muhammad Yawar Ali constituted a full bench for hearing appeals regarding proceedings of Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on the Model Town killings case.

Headed by Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan, the new bench will comprise Justice Aalia Neelum and Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem. The bench will take up the case today (Thursday).

The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and the Minhajul Quran Secretariat had filed the appeals challenging the ATC decision which excluded the names of 12 respondents, including ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and other prominent leaders of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).



However, the PAT leadership wanted Sharif, Shehbaz, Sanaullah and other PMLN leaders to be tried over the Model Town massacre.

Last Saturday, the country's top court had ordered the trial court to hold day-to-day hearing of the case and directed the LHC to decide all the petitions and appeals related to the incident within two weeks

In February last year, the AC had summoned 127 officials, including Punjab IG Mushtaq Sukhera, the DIG operations, the former DCO Lahore and other respondents in a private complaint filed by the PAT over the Model Town massacre.

Arrest warrants

The ATC on Wednesday issued non-bailable warrant of arrest for Rana Abdul Jabbar, the former DIG Operations, directing him to appear as witness on the private complaint against the Model Town killings case. The court also recorded the statement of Minhajul Quran Secretariat administrator Jawad Hamid and adjourned hearing till today (Thursday).

At least 14 people lost their lives and 85 others were injured when a clash erupted between police and the PAT workers over the issue of removal of barriers outside the Minhajul Quran Secretariat.