Model Town: Tribunal seeks affidavit from CM

Judicial tribunal probing Model Town police operation summons Rana Sanaullah and Dr Tauqir Shah for cross-examination.

LAHORE: The one-person judicial tribunal probing the Model Town police operation on Thursday summoned former law minister Rana Sanaullah and the chief minister’s former principal secretary Dr Tauqir Shah for cross-examination on Friday (today). Justice Ali Baqar Najafi also sought an affidavit on the incident from Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif. The judge observed, “At this stage, before the inquiry comes to an end, the tribunal deems it appropriate that in order to ascertain the facts and circumstances of the incident, the chief minister must submit an affidavit through authorised agent on July 25.” Earlier, during in-camera proceedings on Thursday, the tribunal examined former Operations DIG Rana Abdul Jabbar. Other officers who were examined were the then Headquarters SP Mahroof Safdar Wahla, then Operations SP Sadar Malik Awais, then CIA/Organised Crime SP Umar Virk, former Allama Iqbal Town Additional Operations SP Dr Farrukh Raza, then Model Town Investigation SP Muhammad Nadeem, then Mobile SP Abdul Raheem Sherazi, former Security SP Salman Ali Khan and former Model Town SP Tariq Aziz. The tribunal has summoned more police officers for next hearing. The tribunal allowed an application moved by the convener of the joint investigation team to provide written statements of the injured persons admitted in Jinnah Hospital in connection with a case registered at Faisal Town police station. Several lawyers, who have been attending the tribunal’s previous proceedings, objected to the in-camera proceedings. They said they would boycott the tribunal if the proceedings were not held in open court.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2014.