LHC verdict about Model Town JIT challenged in SC

LAHORE: An appeal has been filed in the Supreme Court (SC) Lahore Registry challenging suspension of a notification for new joint investigation team (JIT), formed to probe 2014-Model Town incident, by the Lahore High Court (LHC).

The appeal was filed by Bisma Amjad, the daughter of Tanzila Amjad, who was killed in the Model Town incident, through her counsel Muhammad Azhar Siddique.

The appellant submitted that a LHC full bench had suspended the notification for new Model Town JIT and stopped it from work. She submitted that the bench was not empowered to stop the team from investigations, as per law.

She argued that the new JIT had completed the investigations and it was ready to compile its final report. If the JIT is not allowed to complete its work then Model Town accused could not be punished, she added.

She pleaded with the court to set aside the LHC verdict.

It is pertinent to mention here that a LHC bench had suspended a notification for formation of new JIT, by a two to one majority vote, on petitions assailing the new JIT, on March 22.

The current JIT was constituted after a five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court disposed of a suo motu notice on December 5, 2018, after the Punjab government informed that a new JIT would be formed to investigate the Model Town case.

The suo motu notice was taken on an application of Bisma Amjad. She had requested for formation of a new JIT to probe the killing of workers of the PAT and Idara Minhajul Quran.

Model Town incident took place on June 17, 2014, in which 14 people were killed and 100 others injured after police launched an assault on PAT supporters in Model Town, Lahore.

A JIT was also formed in 2014 which conducted and finalized its investigation in May 2015. The JIT had cleared Shehbaz Sharif and Rana Sanaullah and dismissed all charges leveled against them in the FIR.