LHC issues written verdict on dissolution of new Model Town case JIT
- By Web Desk -
- Mar 23, 2019
LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has issued a written judgment on dissolution of the new joint investigation team (JIT) formed to investigate the 2014 Model Town incident afresh, ARY News reported on Saturday.
The court in its verdict on Friday dissolved the new JIT of the Model Town incident.
Two members of a three-judges bench,Justice Malik Shehzad Ahmed and Justice Aalia Neelum stopped the JIT to probe and annulled the notification of its constitution.
Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan, who headed the bench, written a note of dissent over the verdict.
The court verdict said that if the JIT not stopped it will complete its probe till the court’s decision and if the investigation completed the petitions will become ineffective.
The judgement said that under the anti-terrorism act a JIT could not be constituted twice. The Additional Chief Secretary was not empowered to issue the notification of a fresh JIT, the court said.
The court sought a reply from the Punjab government regarding the new JIT on April 1st.
The court also issued a show cause notice to Advocate General Punjab Ahmed Awais over his contemptuous attitude and asked him to submit a written reply that why a contempt of court proceeding should not be initiated against him.
The law officers didn’t act in this manner in the history of the high court, the bench said. The Advocate General Punjab and the law officers tried to pressurize the bench, they wanted case proceedings at a bench of their choice, the court remarked. The advocate general even said the boycott of the proceeding in the court, the verdict said.
The new JIT was constituted on January 3 this year for a fresh probe into the 2014 Model Town carnage, following a notification issued by the Punjab chief secretary.
Lawyers of Inspector Rizwan and Constable Khurram Rafique had argued before the bench that the Supreme Court had given no order about the new JIT.
They had pleaded to the court to quash the new JIT and stop it from investigation as it would affect the Model Town trial.
On June 17, 2014, at least 14 people were killed and 100 others injured when the police opened fire to disperse protesting Pakistan Awami Tehreek workers during an anti-encroachment operation outside the residence of PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri.