Model Town inquiry: LHC seeks inquiry report on Nov 14

F.P. Report

LAHORE: A full bench of Lahore High Court (LHC) asked the Punjab government counsel to present the Model Town inquiry report in the next in-camera hearing.

The court ordered this on Thursday while hearing an appeal challenging the release of the report.

Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh, head of the full bench asked the Punjab government counsel, Khawaja Harris whether he had brought the inquiry report to which he responded in positive. However, Justice Sheikh said that the court cannot continue the hearing and hear the report due to shortage of time.

The court directed the lawyer to come with the same report on next hearing on November 14, so the bench could examine it.

Later, lawyers of the victims of Model Town incident and Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) began their arguments and opposed the government’s appeal.

The appellants told that they have the right to know details of the report and find out who was responsible for the violence in which they lost their love ones.

Earlier on September 21, a single-member bench of the LHC ordered the Punjab government to release the Model Town report.

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.

In the Model Town Incident at least 14 people were killed and 100 others injured in the police action against PAT workers during an ‘anti-encroachment operation’.

The government had appealed the decision, the hearing of which is presently under way by the larger LHC bench.