Model Town clashes: JIT seeks replies from policemen involved

LAHORE:

Former operations DIG Rana Abdul Jabbar, SSP Maroof Wahla and SP Tariq Saeed appeared before the joint investigation team (JIT) probing the June 17 Model Town violence on Friday.

The officials replied verbally to the questions raised by the JIT before being directed to submit written responses in three days. The team asked the DIG about the number of officials under his command during the time of the incident. This includes divisional SPs and DSPs. Written replies were sought from all the officials involved in the operation. It was also decided to direct city government officials to appear before the team later.

The JIT had decided to issue notices to eyewitnesses and complainants in an earlier meeting to appear before the team to kick-start the proceedings. The JIT had previously bemoaned the refusal of the eyewitnesses and the complainants to appear before it due to the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and the Minhajul Quran’s categorical rejection of the team’s constitution.

PAT central president Raheeq Abbasi had called the team’s constitution an attempt to provide those responsible for the violence with a clean chit. Abbasi had said that the party had not been taken into confidence regarding the JIT’s constitution. He said the party had refused to endorse the nomination of CCPO Cheema as the team’s head as he was from the Punjab and had close ties with PML-N leaders.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2014.