Model Town killings: Tribunal summons police officers

Intel agencies deny providing any report to govt before clashes.

LAHORE:

The judicial tribunal investigating the Model Town clashes has summoned senior police officers for cross examination today (Thursday).

The one-man inquiry tribunal headed by Justice Ali Baqir Najfi of the Lahore High Court has also sought a report from the Establishment Division secretary to ascertain the facts that led to removal of Punjab Police IG before the incident.

At a previous hearing, the court had sought a report from the Punjab government about the IG’s removal.

However, Muhammad Hanif Khatana, the advocate general, told the tribunal on Wednesday that the issue should be referred to the federal secretary instead of the Punjab secretary.

On Wednesday, DSP Saiful Murtaza, a member of the Joint Investigation Team, provided the tribunal a copy of the application given by Muhammad Jawad, the Minhajul Quran International Secretariat administration director, to the Faisal Town SHO on June 19 for registration of FIR in the incident. Murtaza also provided the tribunal telephone numbers of people connected with the inquiry.

The numbers will now be given to respective cellular companies for providing their call data to the tribunal.

He also placed on record reports of the Special Branch, dated June 11 and June 14 about the return of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) Tahirul Qadri to Pakistan.

Asad Ali Khan, the Inter Services Intelligence deputy director, told the tribunal that the agency had not given any report to the Punjab government immediately before the incident. Khan also presented the analysis report of the cell phone data earlier given to the agency.

Sajid Bilalul Rehman, the Intelligence Bureau director, told the tribunal that no intelligence information was shared with the provincial government about the issue immediately before the incident.

The counsel for Zong cellular company said that the cell phone numbers, whose data was demanded by the tribunal, had shifted to Mobilink.

The tribunal issued notices to Mobilink for the submission of the cell phone data.

Mian Dawood, a reporter for Value TV, presented a CD containing video footage of the clashes.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 24^th, 2014.