Political bigwigs fail to appear before Model Town JIT

Top police officials to appear before JIT today


Our Correspondent February 25, 2019
A file photo of Model Town mayhem.

LAHORE: None of the bigwigs of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) appeared before the new Joint Investigation Team (JIT) constituted to probe into the Model Town tragedy.

The newly-constituted JIT had summoned Opposition Leader in the National Assembly and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz and former federal interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali.

The JIT had sent notices asking them to appear before the JIT on Monday at 10am to record their statements.

The JIT had also summoned PML-N leaders Khawaja Asif, Pervaiz Rasheed and Abid Sher Ali.

It has also called for former personal secretary to ex-chief minister of Punjab Shahbaz Imdadullah Bosal, former deputy secretary law Haji Nawaz Gondal and former Revenue ADC Irfan Nawaz.

The JIT has also summoned former Lahore Mujahid Force superintendent of police Abdul Raheem Shirazi, SP Operation Model Town Tariq Aziz, SP Investigation Muhammad Nadeem and others on Tuesday (today) at 10:30am for the same purpose.

The Punjab Home Department had constituted a new JIT on January 4 to probe into the Model Town tragedy.

The JIT is headed by National Highways and Motorway Police (NH&MP) IG AD Khawaja.

The formation of the new JIT was ordered by the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Bisma Amjad, daughter of a woman who was killed in the Model Town tragedy, had filed a petition in the Human Rights Cell of the Supreme Court.

A two-member bench, headed by the former chief justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, had heard Amjad’s plea and ordered formation of a new JIT.

Before this JIT, another JIT during the PML-N tenure had also investigated the matter. However, Pakistan Awami Tehreek had refused to accept the its report.

A judicial commission, headed by Justice Baqir Najfi, had also conducted an investigation into the tragedy.

On June 17, 2014 in Model Town, Lahore, members of the Punjab police opened fire on unarmed Pakistan Awami Tehreek protesters, killing 14 men and women.

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