A judicial commission was set up to probe the clash between police and PAT supporters. PHOTO: MEHMOOD QURESHI/EXPRESS
IG Punjab Mushtaq Sukhera, district coordination officer (DCO) Lahore Capt (retd) Usman and Lahore Development Authority (LDA) Director General Ahad Khan Cheema appeared before the commission to record their statements today.
Sukhera informed the commission that the matter is being investigated internally and the superintendent of police is heading the process. He further added that the details of the matter would be shared with the commission after completion.
The commission had earlier asked Cheema to file a detailed report about the clashes today (Thursday). However, he failed to do so on the basis that his department is strictly related to allotments of land and thus, he has nothing to do with this matter.
The commission, however, asked him to present minutes of his meeting held with the IG Punjab and Capital City Police Officer Lahore about the operation.
Furthermore, the DCO was directed to present a report regarding the barriers placed around the PAT secretariat and details of officers who asked for the removal of the barriers within a day.
Lahore High Court Justice Ali Akbar Najfi, who was heading the one-man commission, directed Sukhera to present records of FIRs registered, updates regarding the investigation, names and ranks of police personnel deputed on the spot and names of police officers who assigned duties for the operation by Friday.
Suggestions for commission
Najfi asked the audience for suggestions for an effective investigation of the clashes.
In this regard, Abdullah Malik, a rights activist, suggested that the commission should direct the police to release the arrested PAT supporters and ensure that the medico-legal certificates and postmortem reports are not tampered with.
Furthermore, a lawyer requested the commission for permission of relatives and counsels of arrested people to visit the arrested supporters as they are not being allowed to, while another asked for the suspension of FIRs registered against PAT supporters.
An advocate also submitted an application before the commission requesting Justice Najfi to quit this commission saying that the government never implements suggestions made by various commissions appointed for investigations. He further added that the governments have always used the judiciary to share the responsibility of their wrongdoings.
However, Najfi said that he will give him an appropriate answer in this regard. Later, the commission adjourned the hearing till Friday.
COMMENTS (4)
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The judge in the commission asked the audience for input regarding how to effeciently perform his work. And the suggestions, which are really useless, the poor guy gets are the rants of illogical and dimwitted people of this country with nothing positive to contribute towards the betterment.
I am strictly opposed to what TUQ preaches and his anti democratic agenda or whatever one may call it but one doesn't need to think politically about what happened in Lahore on 16th may. Although it seems a distant dream that the culprits of police brutality and killing of innocents will ever be persecuted, but the incidence has given a serious blow to the PML N's image. The way police fired live rounds on unarmed civilians an targeting them on head, neck and chest with bullets is shameful and inhumane. No one can defend the atrocities and brutality by the police. The way PMLN government completed its one year gave me hope that may be they can contribute to the betterment of the country an I somehow started supporting them but they have proved me wrong. Nawaz shareef has proved to be worse than Musharraf and Zia ul Haq. The lives of 12 innocents lost and hundreds injured will not go in vain. Shareefs will have to be answerable in some point in time. Thugs like Rana sana ullah (who also happens to be friends with banned outfits) is still defending his actions. This is below humanity, shameful that some PMLN supporters still defend it.