Reading out his affidavit before the judicial tribunal on Monday, the former principal secretary to the chief minister, Dr Touqir Shah, gave Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif a clean bill of health.
He submitted before the tribunal that at 9 am on the day of the incident, CM Shahbaz called him after watching the news and inquired about what was happening at the Minhajul Quran Secretariat. “I informed the CM that there is an operation to remove illegal barriers on public roads around the secretariat.” At this, Shahbaz asked why he was not taken into confidence before the move was made.
This was because during a meeting on June 16, a day before the incident, Rana Sanaullah had ordered the barriers be removed, which had been ‘illegally’ placed around the secretariat.
Activists of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and policemen clashed with each other on the day of the incident in Model Town, leaving as many as 14 party workers, including two women, dead and injuring nearly 80 others. Some policemen were among those injured.
During Monday’s hearing, Sanaullah, too, filed his affidavit before the tribunal, while the Lahore Commissioner, Punjab home secretary and former Lahore city police chief submitted their reports.
In his affidavit, Rana Sanaullah submitted that during the June 16 meeting, Lahore commissioner informed him that there are several barriers on the roads around Minhajul Quran Secretariat, which were creating problems for people. Therefore, it was decided to remove them.
“On June 17, at 9 am, I came to know of the unrest between the police and Dr Tahirul Qadri’s activists through the media,” he said.
Sanaullah said he asked the Lahore CCPO Chaudhry Shafiq Gujjar about the situation, who informed the law minister that he had sent a police force to remove the barriers.
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Lahore division Rashid Mahmood Langrial also filed his reply. On the day of the incident, PAT activists did not let authorities remove these barriers and started pelting the police with stones, he read in front of the tribunal. He said they tried to resolve the matter through dialogue but in vain. Langrial said he later came to know that many civilians and policemen had been injured.
He added that Sanaullah had ordered for the removal of the barriers.
Similarly, Punjab Home Secretary Azam Suleman Khan filed his report and said he ordered the DIG police and DCO to resolve the matter peacefully. The DIG informed him that PAT activists had fired, hurled stones and thrown petrol bombs at the police.
He was later informed that 10 people had died and many others were injured, Khan read out. An FIR was registered and a Joint Investigation Team was also constituted, which is investigating the matter, he added.
Lahore CCPO Shafique Gujjar also appeared before the tribunal and admitted his report. As the judge asked him to read it out, he requested the judge to hold in-camera proceedings as he had some sensitive information to share. The judge accepted his request.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 1st, 2014.
COMMENTS (17)
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Just investigate the this IG Punjab's statement in which he said that FIR can't be registered against the police officers because "someone" ordered to open fire on the protesters and killed 8 on the spot.Who is this "someone" ask IG Punjab because this "someone" is more powerful and authoritative than even IG Punjab and whose name is being camouflaged by the justice providers??????
The Punjab police and bureaucracy have "delivered" as desired, now watch as the rewards are showered upon them. Integrity is a bird not found in Lahore.
Rana Sanaullah should be jailed and the entire political system should be scrapped if it allows murderers and such incompetence. The entire political system is a fail. If anything, Dr Tahir ul Qadri should be given the keys to the country to save it from destruction.
Since NS was ousted twice and jailed once after his ouster, he might be suffering from phobias. Therefore, he must see a psychiatrist to get rid of his phobias and take charge of the State in the true sense of the term. While he should allow maximum freedom for speech, for assembly, and for aggregation, he must not allow anyone to take law into their hands and must not be afraid to take lawfully effective measures to ensure the writ of the State, equally, and uniformly across everyone and across all situations and scenarios. If that results in a military takeover, so be it. He must govern effectively or get out and let someone else do the job. Pakistan can no longer survive the slide into lawlessness.
If the Lal Masjid lawbreakers can be burnt to death, why can't the State enforce its writ against the Minhaj Secretariat activists who pelted the police with stones and persisted to defy the writ of the State? Both the Lal Masjid occupants and the Minhaj activists defied the writ of the State. Both were law breakers of the worst kind.
It is clear that the trouble started when the activists of PAT started pelting stones on the police who were legally removing the illegal barriers at Minhaj Secretariat. The activists persisted and even fired. The police had to retaliate and so the casualties. Qadri and others who goaded the activists and the miscreants must be brought to justice, period.
@sameer: rofl
@sameer: Unfortunately Imran Khan hasn't done a good job in opposition so how can be a reliable leader? If he could show us how he has transformed the provincial government in KPK for the better, we can believe his party and consider voting for them the next time round. As it is, he is proving to be no better than a crying loser and people are getting tired of his antics. He is proving no better than Tahirul Qadri who just wants to upset the system but not prepared to let the government prove its mettle.
None of the Punjab Government and Police officials actions were wrong except that Mian Shehbaz Sharif and his Minister did not take a brave stand after the incident. Removing barriers and using force against those miscreants who were legitimate and necessary actions. Mian Sahib's cowardice and fear from dark forces has given edge to these miscreants and their supporters. I don't see any difference between Mian Shehbaz Sharif and Musharaf who also did not stand up with his soldiers after Lal Masjid incident. Shame on both.
And then they ask for justice to be claimed through courts constitutionally. There is no surprise people have taken to the streets as they find to solace in any department to stand up for their rights in Pakistan... Women burning themselves alive in front of Court rooms for violation of justice, protesters being shot dead and rulers acquitted.... These are all the ingredients of anarchy... only in such situations do people start taking law in their own hands... and when masses take the law and fulfillment of Justice in their hands there is no stopping them... they only stop when the master perpetrators(rulers) are hung on the poles of street lamps!
Tell me guys...have we as a nation ever cared for the lives of the people ? & these CMs,Police Chiefs,PM & the President etc; are like us, so are they different ? who cares.....! & we will all be answerable to Allah swt, here in this world & herein after....
Just for courtesy , SS should have offered a public apology being the CE of province,.............
@Faysal: And the surprise would be? Indicting the innocent?
I am not surprised.
Getting any penalty or judgement from Punjab courts against PMLn is out if the question. All are friends behind the door, only non-pmln persons will get hooked here.
Put them through a lie detector test and you might know the real truth. These affidavits are as good as last elections.