A division bench of the Lahore High Court here on Tuesday issued notices to Punjab Home Secretary and other respondents for October 22 in response to a petition of Sabzazaar former Station House Officer (SHO) Amir Saleem challenging investigation of Model Town incident conducted by a Joint Investigation Team (JIT). The petitioner was involved in the case registered about the June 17 incident, wherein at least 11 supporters of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) were killed outside Minhajul Quran Secretariat in Model Town.
Representing the petitioner, Waqas Hassan Mir argued that the JIT had not fixed any liability of the petitioner under provisions of Anti Terrorism ACT (ATA) inserted in the FIR. He said report of a judicial inquiry of the incident held by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi was also yet to be released by the government. The counsel said police denied fundamental rights of the petitioner by lodging second FIR of the same occurrence. He argued that by not complying with the sections 4 and 5-A of ATA the registration of subsequent FIR infringed the rights of the petitioner of due process of law and fair trial. The counsel asked the court to set aside the 'defective' investigation of the JIT and order the government to public the tribunal's report.