Govt to file reference against judge

Accuses him of ‘facilitating terrorists’, commissioner visits Zaman Park

LAHORE:

The Punjab government will submit a reference against a judge accused of providing assistance to protesters involved in the May 9 riots. The decision was made during a high-level meeting chaired by Punjab Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday, where the progress of legal proceedings against alleged rioters was assessed.

During the meeting, cash rewards were approved for those who could identify the suspected rioters, while concerns were raised about the illicit facilitation of named suspects involved in the assault on the ISI office.

The meeting unanimously agreed to initiate an official reference against a judge who allegedly provided extraordinary assistance to the terrorists.

The meeting also decided that the government would challenge the legality of the facilitation provided to the named accused. The meeting also determined that a negotiation team, led by Commissioner Lahore, would visit Zaman Park later on Friday.

In addition to these developments, CM Naqvi ordered a thorough follow-up on cases registered against the rioters, directing the relevant commissioners and RPOs to conduct daily meetings to monitor the progress of the prosecution. He emphasized the importance of apprehending suspects promptly, as attacks on army installations and public assets warranted no leniency.

The Caretaker Chief Minister remarked that May 9 represented a dark chapter in Pakistan’s history, characterized by acts of terrorism as part of a malicious scheme. During the meeting, a briefing highlighted the use of advanced techniques such as geo-fencing, human intelligence, social media analysis and NADRA records to identify and apprehend the accused. Substantial evidence of telephone communication between top leadership figures of PTI had been uncovered, with 628 calls traced so far.

Attending the meeting were Provincial Information Minister Amir Mir, Chief Secretary Punjab, Inspector General of Police, Additional IG Special Branch, Additional Chief Secretary, Law Secretary, CCPO Lahore, Additional Chief Secretary for Home Department, Commissioner of Lahore Division, Additional IG for CTD, IG Prisons, Chief Operating Officer of the Punjab Safe Cities Authority, and other relevant officials. Furthermore, Divisional Commissioners and RPOs participated in the meeting via video link.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2023.