Model Town judicial tribunal: Ex-secretary gives Shahbaz clean sheet
CM asked why he was not taken into confidence when Sanaullah ordered removal of barriers.
LAHORE:
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.
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.