SC summons record of Model Town carnage cases

LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Sunday summoned record of cases pertaining to the Model Town incident from an anti-terrorism court.

Headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, the two-judge bench of the apex court was hearing a petition pertaining to the Model Town carnage at the Lahore registry.

Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) leader Khurram Nawaz Gandapur appeared before the bench.

The petitioner complained that the anti-terrorism court has been unable to wind up the trial proceedings into the Model Town cases despite the directives of the top court.

He recalled that the chief justice had directed the court to decide these cases within a period of three months. He pleaded that it may be directed to complete the trial at the earliest.

Lately, Prime Minister Imran Khan telephoned PAT chief Dr Tahir ul Qadri and assured him that the perpetrators of the Model Town massacre will be punished.

The prime minister reiterated his resolve that those responsible for the ruthless killing of innocent workers of the PAT in Model Town, Lahore would get justice.

Earlier this week, a larger bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) turned down a petition by the Minhajul Quran seeking to summon the Sharif brothers in the Model Town incident case.

A three-judge bench gave a majority verdict, ruling in favour of former premier Nawaz Sharif, his brother Shehbaz Sharif, former law minister Rana Sanaullah and half a dozen others.

The bench upheld a ruling of the anti-terrorism court that excluded them from the list of the accused nominated in the Model Town case.

The petitioner’s lawyer had contended that there were enough evidence to summon 12 political leaders, including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, ex-Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah and others, to interrogate them in the case.

However, he argued that the trial court overlooked facts and excluded the respondents who had been nominated in the private complaint of his client.