Lahore killings: Court asks police to register FIR against Prime Minister, CM, others

An additional district and sessions Judge directed Faisal Town police Lahore to register a criminal case on an application of Minhajul Quran Secretariat through which the organisation of Dr Tahirul Qadri had demanded registration of a murder case against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, former law minister Rana Sanaullah, former principal secretary to CM Dr Tauqeer Shah, Hamza Shahbaz, federal minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, federal information minister Pervez Rasheed, federal interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, federal minister for railways Kh. Saad Rafiq, state minister Abid Sher Ali and others, including Inspector General Police, Punjab.
Judge Raja Muhammad Ajmal Khan passed this order on an application filed by Minhajul Quran Secretariat under section 22 A 22 B. The court after hearing the arguments of both parties, directed the police to register an FIR on the application filed by the petitioner and then to proceed in accordance with law. The judge observed that the respondent SHO Faisal Town could not discharge his legal obligation as he should have registered an FIR on the application filed by the officials.
The judge further observed that in the FIR, which was registered by the police, it was not mentioned that whether or not any person had died during the clash and this fact by itself underscored the need for registration of a new FIR. Jawad Hamid, director administration at Minhajul Quran Secretariat, had filed the petition submitting that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, former provincial law Minister Rana Sanaullah, former secretary to Punjab Chief Minister Dr Tauqeer Shah, MNA Hamza Shahbaz, federal ministers including Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Pervez Rasheed, minister of state Abid Sher Ali and Inspector General Police Mushtaq Sukhera, DIG operations Rana Abdul Jabbar, SP Model Town Tariq Aziz, SP Security Salman, SP Maroof Safdar Wahla, Khana SHO inspector Ishtiaq, SHO Nishtar Town Majeed Usman and other officials directly and indirectly were involved in the killing of 14 persons and causing gunshot injuries to 100 people.
Earlier, Mansoor Afridi on behalf of the Minhajul Quran, argued that police registered two FIRs of the incident. He contended that two FIRs of an incident cannot be lodged but the SHO concerned registered two FIRs which showed malafide intentions. He argued that Hussain Mohayyuddin was nominated in the first FIR but Gullu Butt was not mentioned in it. In the second FIR, Gullu Butt was nominated while Hussain Mohayyuddin was excluded. He said if an FIR could be registered on the complaint by police officials then why it could not be registered by an aggrieved party. Their version was not heard and made part of the FIR lodged by the government. He prayed to the court to direct police for registration of criminal case against the above mentioned persons.
District Public Prosecutor, Azhar Hussain, representing the government, contended that an FIR had already been registered and Joint Investigation Team had been constituted. He urged the judge to direct the petitioner to join the investigation. He argued that if the petitioner is not satisfied with the Joint Investigation Team then the registration of an FIR on the application of the petitioner would be a futile exercise. The judge ordered police for registration of an FIR and proceed in accordance with the law.
At least 15 people died and about 100 people got serious injuries during a clash between police and workers of Pakistan Awami Tehreek outside Minhajul Quran in Model Town in June.
NNI adds: The court also ordered that a compliance report should be presented to it after registration of a case against the accused. The Court also ordered that a report should be presented before it after completion of the process. The Prime Minister was in Lahore when the court issued the order, official sources said, adding that he also consulted close aides about the emerging situation.