Model Town JIT visits Kot Lakhpat Jail to record Nawaz Sharif's statement

LAHORE: The members of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) inquiring into the Model Town carnage reached Kot Lakhpat Jail in Lahore on Wednesday to record the statement of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, ARY News reported.

An accountability court of Islamabad last Thursday allowed the Punjab police to question former prime minister Nawaz Sharif about the Model Town case, who is serving seven-year prison term in Kot Lakhpat Jail.

Accountability Judge Arshad Malik had granted a plea moved by DSP Muhammad Iqbal seeking permission to question the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) supreme leader in the case.

The Leader of Opposition in National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif, had also appeared before the Model Town incident Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on Monday to record his statement.

The probe team, had rejected a plea of Shehbaz Sharif seeking to record his statement without appearing before the JIT.

Shehbaz Sharif appeared before the JIT members in Lahore at the Child Protection Bureau.

PML-N leaders Pervez Rasheed, Khawaja Asif and Rana Sanaullah already appeared before the newly constituted investigation team of Model Town carnage to record their statements.

According to sources, the JIT has recorded statements of 85 witnesses, while 90 officials of the police department also appeared before the JIT and recorded their statements over the incident.

Seven PML-N leaders including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, former chief minister of Punjab Shehbaz Sharif, his son Hamza Shehbaz, Rana Sanaullah, Khawaja Asif,former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali and Abid Sher Ali were earlier summoned by the probe team to record their statements.

The Punjab Home Department on Jan 3 had formed a new JIT, on the Supreme Court orders for a fresh probe into the Model Town incident.

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 in Model Town Lahore.