LAHORE: A large number of local leaders and workers of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) protested outside the Punjab Civil Secretariat on Friday, demanding the release of a copy of Justice Baqar Najafi’s judicial commission report on the Model Town incident.
The protest came after the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision of making the Model Town tragedy enquiry report public.
Activists gathered outside the Civil Secretariat carrying placards and shouting slogans in favour of their demands. According to details, police shut the gates of the civil secretariat as soon as the PAT activists arrived on site, for security purposes.
Commuters had to face immense hardships due to a traffic jam at Lower Mall Road after PAT protesters took to the streets.
The LHC on Thursday ordered the Punjab government to release the Model Town enquiry report.
LHC’s Justice Mazahir Ali Akbar Naqvi read out the order while hearing the petition filed by the victims’ families and directed the Punjab home secretary to take necessary action.
The Punjab government had set up a judicial commission under LHC Justice Baqir Ali Najafi to investigate the incident and fix responsibility on those found guilty of ordering the excessive police action. The Punjab government later formed a joint investigation team on the basis of the judicial enquiry but refrained from making the report public.
Speaking on TV on Thursday, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said the government would follow the court’s orders, but only after the decision of the full court on Monday, September 25.
At least 14 workers of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) were killed by the police during an ‘anti-encroachment’ operation near the Minhajul Quran Secretariat in Lahore’s Model Town area on June 17, 2014.
