New LHC bench to hear plea against Model Town JIT

LAHORE: A new bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) has been constituted to hear a petition challenging the formation of a new Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the Model Town incident, ARY News reported.

The two-judge bench headed by Justice Aalia Neelum and comprising Justice Shehbaz Rizvi will now hear the case.

At the previous hearing, the court sought assistance from relevant officials to inquire whether the petition was admissible in the high court. The court asked whether the high court had authority to inspect directives of the Supreme Court.

The petitioner said the apex court had given no directives about the new JIT, except the government assurance that it had given to the SC regarding forming new probe team.

On Jan 21, the JIT, formed following the Supreme Court orders in Model Town case, had summoned former Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah. The newly-formed JIT grilled Sanaullah regarding the Model Town case.

The Punjab Home Department on Jan 3 formed a JIT for a fresh probe into the 2014 Model Town incident.

Earlier, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, on December 5, had winded up a petition in the Model Town case after the government assured the apex court to form new JIT to probe the incident.

The apex court on October 6 had taken notice of plea by Bisma Amjad, the daughter of Tanzila Amjad who was among those martyred in the Model Town firing incident, seeking the formation of a new investigation team to probe the carnage.

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.