Model Town accused appear before new JIT

PML-N president could not travel to Islamabad due to health reasons, says sources

ISLAMABAD: The newly formed Joint Investigation Team (JIT) for Model Town incident summoned Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif and party leaders Rana Sanaullah, Khawaja Asif and Pervaiz Rasheed to record their statements on Thursday.

The five-member committee investigating the 2014 killings was headed by Inspector General of National Highways and Motorways Police (NH&MP) Allah Dino Khwaja and included a representative of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), a representative of the Military Intelligence (MI), Intelligence Bureau (IB) Deputy Director General Mohammad Ahmed Kamal and Gilgit-Baltistan Police Headquarters DIG Qamar Raza Jiskani.

Shehbaz did not come to record his statement as the JIT proceedings were held in Islamabad. His counsel Rana Asadullah appeared.

Sources said Shehbaz had been barred from travelling for medical reasons. His counsel insisted that his client’s written statement in his absence be accepted and made part of the record. The JIT observed that the PML-N president should submit his statement in person when his health improves.



Later, speaking to the media, Sanaullah said the formation of new JIT was against the law and directed toward political enmity as after the presentation of the case challan, investigation could not be carried out.

He alleged that Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri were making PML-N a target of political rivalry. Sanaullah said he had put these reservations before the JIT.

On June 17, 2014, 14 people were killed and 100 others injured after police launched an assault on PAT supporters gathered outside the residence of Qadri in Model Town, Lahore.

A subsequent judicial inquiry report on the incident pointed fingers at then Punjab law minister Sanaullah and the police for the incident.