Shehbaz's undertaking for Model Town incident not accepted

LAHORE: The undertaking for the Model Town incident, submitted to Justice Baqir Najfi by the Chief Minister (CM) of Punjab Shehbaz Sharif, was not accepted according to a private commission's report. 

At least 14 people were killed and 100 others injured in an ‘anti-encroachment’ operation conducted by the police against the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) headquarters on June 17, 2014.

According to a private commission's report on the incident, the police and local administration proved 'ineffective' in controlling the crowd in 'a professional way'.

The CM's undertaking stated that he directed the secretary to resolve the issue as soon as he was informed about a clash between the police and mob.

The report further notes that Shehbaz's undertaking and press conference seem to be contradictory and the government should probe into the matter to unearth facts about the incident.

The PAT has moved the Lahore High Court against the Punjab government’s failure to release the judicial inquiry report into the Model Town killings despite court orders.

The petition has made CM Punjab, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Chief Secretary Zahid Saeed and Home Secretary Azam Suleman respondents in the case.

The petition states that the LHC had asked that the report be made public but implementation on court orders has not been done yet. Failure to follow court orders comes under contempt of court and an inquiry regarding the same be carried out against the respondents, the petition said.

LHC on Thursday ordered the Punjab government to make public the judicial inquiry report into the Model Town killings.

The order was read out by Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi while hearing a petition by the families of those injured in the 2014 clashes with police in Lahore to make the inquiry report public.

The Punjab government in response, filed on Thursday an intra-court appeal in LHC against the decision of a single-bench to make public the report.

Sanaullah confirmed the filing of the appeal on Friday.

The appeal states that as the matter is under review by a full-bench of the high court, the decision of the single-bench should be dismissed.

Earlier, it was reported that a full bench of the court will hear all the petitions on the Model Town tragedy on September 25.

A three-member bench of LHC headed by interim Chief Justice Yawar Ali will hear the different cases demanding the Model Town judicial report to be made public.

The petitions have been filed by the families of the victims killed in the incident.