Legal assistance sought in Model Town case

Petitioners challenge the formation of a second joint investigation team to look into Model Town incident

LAHORE:

A seven-judge bench of Lahore High Court headed by Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan had sought legal assistance on some points regarding the constitution of a joint investigation team (JIT) for the second time to look into the Model Town incident in which a number of people were killed in police firing.

The bench asked, whether or not the JIT had been constituted after approval of the chief minister and the provincial cabinet, and also asked whether CM Sardar Usman Buzdar seconded a statement given by the advocate general of Punjab in the Supreme Court of Pakistan about the provincial government’s decision regarding the constitution of the JIT.

Another query posed by the court was whether the statement about constituting the second JIT was given by the CM in his personal capacity or was it the stance of the provincial government. Justice Malik Shehzad asked whether CM Buzdar would like to submit an affidavit or benefit from the protection which the Constitution had given him. “We will examine from all legal aspects if CM Buzdar wishes to take the protection of the relevant clause of the Constitution,” the CJ remarked.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 16^th, 2021.