In Model Town case, Supreme Court constituted the larger bench to create new JIT.
NAB officials presented Shehbaz Sharif before the SC’s Lahore Registry today as it heard a petition seeking the formation of a new JIT team to investigate the Model Town case.
A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard the petition filed by Bisma Amjad, who had been affected by the incident.
The Supreme court has issued notices to 139, including Nawaz Sharif and former Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif.
NAB Lahore had been sent a notice to present Shehbaz Sharif before the Supreme court for today’s hearing. Shehbaz Sharif has been in NAB’s custody since October 5 due to his links to the Ashiana Iqbal Housing Scheme case.
On June 17, 2014, at least 14 people were killed and 100 others injured in police action against Pakistan Awami Tehreek workers in Lahore’s Model Town area during an ‘anti-encroachment operation.
Model Town Case Report
The Punjab government, at the behest of the Lahore High Court, had made the report of the Model Town case on December 5, 2017.
The inquiry report was prepared by Justice Baqir Najfi commission. According to the commission, police tried to cover up the facts regarding who gave orders to open fire on protesters.
Moreover, no legal opinion was sought from the Punjab advocate general before the start of the operation.
The commission, in its report, also stated that on the ground, the standoff continued the whole night, resulting in minor injuries to police constables as well as PAT workers.
The commission observed: “The level of cooperation in digging out the truth is that no police official from top to bottom, whether actively participated in the operation or not, did utter a single word about the person under whose command the police resorted to firing upon the PAT workers.”
While concluding the commission said, ”It is shocking to note that everyone has deliberately but unsuccessfully tried to cover each other from possible adverse legal effects.”
