The probe continues: 4 injured in Model Town mayhem summoned

Jinnah Hospital MS said they were fit to record their statements.

LAHORE:

A judicial tribunal of the Lahore High Court on Wednesday directed four injured persons, under treatment at Jinnah Hospital for injuries sustained in a police operation at the Minhajul Quran Secretariat on June 17, to appear in court on July 4.

The police operation had left 14 dead and more than 80 persons injured. Justice Ali Baqar Najfi issued the order after recording the statement of the Jinnah Hospital medical superintendent’ that the four people presently under treatment at the hospital were healthy and stable enough to record their statements before the tribunal.

The medical superintendent said 23 people injured in the police operation had been admitted to Jinnah Hospital. Three of them had succumbed to their injuries while undergoing treatment and 16 had been discharged later, he said.

He said four of the people – Waqas, Haroon, Meraj Din and Arsalan – had bone fractures and were being treated at the orthopaedic unit. He said they would be discharged in a few days.

Advocate Aftab Ahmed Bajwa appeared before the tribunal and questioned its legality. Justice Najfi told Bajwa that if he had misgivings about the legality of the tribunal, he need not appear before it. The judge said he was under the mandate of law. Bajwa then requested the tribunal to rule on his application for the provision of record of affidavits and statements by various government functionaries to the tribunal. He requested the tribunal to pronounce judgement on his application for the registration of an FIR against police officers and lawmakers responsible for the incident.

Justice Najfi said the decision on the applications would be announced on Thursday (today). The bench adjourned proceedings until Thursday.

Advocate Shabnam Nagi suggested that the chief minister could be arrested and suspended from his position, as this was “necessary for an impartial inquiry”.

Abdullah Malik, a human rights activist, suggested that the police be directed to arrest policemen responsible for killing and injuring Pakistan Awami Tehreek activists. He said over a dozen police officials had been suspended when a cat attacked one of the peacocks at the chief minister’s house, but no action had been taken in this case that left 14 people dead and over 80 injured.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 3^rd, 2014.