Interest in Model Town case revived

Tribunal directs IG to provide information of standard operating procedure for communication of order.


Rana Tanveer July 14, 2014

LAHORE:


The judicial tribunal on violence at Model Town revived interest in the case last week by seeking records of conversations of the chief minister on July 16 and 17.


The tribunal also directed the joint investigation team to submit technical evidence and information - call records and transcripts of telephonic information between concerned authorities. The tribunal, headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najfi, ordered the ISI, the IB and the Special Branch to share their reports on the incident. The tribunal also directed the inspector general of police to provide information of standard operating procedure for communication of orders to his subordinates on the ground during operations.

Additional Inspector General of Police Altaf Hussain, appearing in court on behalf of the inspector general, told the court that no action had been taken against police officials who conducted the operation against Minhaj-ul-Quran activists. He said notices had not been served to any police official over the incident.

Additional Advocate General Hanif Khatana objected to tribunal’s order to the JIT for a regular inquiry report. However, the tribunal held that it was not supervising the JIT, only keeping itself updated.

After the order of the tribunal, eight police officials, including the former SHO of Sabzazar police station, were detained

After the July 9 order, the judge hearing the tribunal received threats and they were made public by senior police officials, including the CCPO. Some are of the view that various tactics are being used to intimidate the judge heading the tribunal.

The tribunal would hold another proceeding on Monday (today).

Sexual harassment

Hearing a petition against the Punjab University vice chancellor, Lahore High Court expressed concern over allegations of sexual harassment levelled against the varsity’s head.

Justice Farrukh Irfan Khan observed that status of a teacher was highly respectable but the allegations against Dr Mujahid Kamran were grave and could not be tolerated.

PU Law college lecturer Khujista Rehan has filed a petition accusing the VC of sexually harassing her.

The university’s counsel has said the petitioner had been accused of threatening the sports director. He said Rehan had warned the sports director against supporting the VC in the matter.

He presented records of a telephonic conversation between Rehan and the sports director over the issue of some athletes claiming they were given steroids by the university authorities. According to the recorded conversation, Rehan said she knew how to use the law in her favour and that he should not support the vice chancellor.

Bail dismissed

Last week, the LHC dismissed a bail application of Bilal Gondal, a local leader of All Pakistan Muslim League Sialkot, accused of killing eight people of a family.

Gondal, in his bail petition, said the case registered against him was false and politically motivated.

Prosecution told the court that the suspect had killed eight members of a family including an eight-month-old girl. They said that Gondal was also involved in dozens of criminal cases, including kidnapping for ransom and murders. The suspect had hired tribal men to execute his orders, prosecution said. They said Gondal’s security guards resisted Sialkot police tried to arrest Gondal after his bail was dismissed.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 14th, 2014.

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