PML-N leaders appear before Model Town JIT to record statements

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Pervez Rasheed, Khawaja Asif and Rana Sanaullah on Thursday appeared before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) of Model Town carnage to record their statements, ARY News reported.

The JIT session at Islamabad, chaired by I.G. Motorways A.D. Khawaja, questioned the PML-N leaders who had decided to appear before the probe team.

The probe also considered a written statement submitted by former chief minister of Punjab Shehbaz Sharif.

Former law minister of Punjab Rana Sanaullah later talking to media said, ” we appeared before the JIT and presented our stance that formation of this JIT is unlawful.”

” JIT could not be constituted in a case after submitting challan and framing charges,” Sanaullah said. The JIT could not be formed again when the Model Town trial already in progress in court, he said.

“The PTI subjecting us to political victimization, a written statement has been submitted to the JIT,” Sanaullah added.

The sources earlier said that the JIT has finalized its report and will submit it to the government on March 15.

According to sources, the JIT recorded statements of 90 witnesses of Minhaj ul Quran, while 85 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 but they didn’t appear 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.