Former IG Punjab Mushtaq Sukhera indicted in Model Town case

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday indicted former Inspector General (IG) Punjab Mushtaq Sukhera in the Model Town incident case.

Sukhera appeared before the ATC in Lahore as it heard the case today.

During the hearing, Sukhera denied the charges, however, the ATC indicted him.

Summoning the witnesses to record their statements, the court adjourned the hearing of the case till tomorrow.

Earlier this year, an anti-terrorism court indicted 113 people in the case.

At least 14 people were killed and 100 others injured in police action against Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers in Lahore's Model Town area during an 'anti-encroachment operation' on June 17, 2014.

Model Town incident report

The Punjab government, at the behest of the Lahore High Court, had made the report of the Model Town incident public on December 5, 2017.

The inquiry report, prepared by Justice Baqir Najfi commission, said that police tried to cover up the facts regarding who gave orders to open fire on protesters.

It adds that no legal opinion was sought from the Punjab advocate general prior to 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."

Further, in its conclusion, the commission said, "It is shocking to note that everyone has deliberately but unsuccessfully tried to cover each other from possible adverse legal effects."