Tahirul Qadri demands Panamagate JIT-like probe into Model Town incident

• Sheikh Rasheed says opposition parties stand with PAT chief

LAHORE: Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri demanded on Sunday a Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT)-like probe into Model Town incident.

“A joint investigation team (JIT), along the lines of the one formed to probe the Panama Papers case, should be formed to investigate the Model Town incident,” said the PAT chief.

Speaking to media after a meeting with Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rasheed, who called on Qadri at his Model Town residence, the PAT chief said the report of Justice Baqar Najafi declared Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah “killers”, adding that, “this is why they hid the report for three years”.

“Instead of releasing the report as ordered by Lahore High Court (LHC) Justice Mazhar Naqvi, the government appealed the decision which was turned down by a full bench which resulted in the government finally releasing the report last week.”

“Every page of the report says they conspired to kill PAT workers,” said Qadri.

The PAT leader alleged that the government is keeping several people outside the country so they do not become approvers against it.

“We want a Panama-like JIT to investigate the case as the previous probe bodies did not do a complete job,” he demanded.

Reiterating his demand for Shehbaz and Sanaullah’s resignation and submission to police for investigation, Qadri said, “If they do not step down in peace, we will kick them out of power…without breaking the law”.

“Involvement of Nawaz Sharif cannot be ruled out as IGs and DCOs [District Coordination Officers] were changed during the probe of incident,” Qadri underlined.

On the occasion, Rasheed said Qadri’s fight against tyranny has been won, though it would complete with the resignation of the Punjab chief minister.

“We are with Qadri,” said Rasheed, adding that the Sharifs will be out of office before March 30.

The PML-N government has been facing pressure from opposition parties calling for the immediate resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah over Model Town tragedy which claimed 14 lives of PAT activists.

Earlier this week, former president Asif Ali Zardari and PAT chief Tahirul Qadri unanimously demanded resignation from Shehbaz Sharif over the Model Town incident.

“We equally share the grief of heirs of the victims and the PAT. Such an incident has never been witnessed in Pakistan,” Zardari said while talking to media in a joint press conference with Qadri.

On other hand, a six-member delegation of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) also held a meeting with Qadri and vowed the party support to his campaign.

At least 14 people died in the Model Town tragedy June 17, 2014.

The Punjab government on Tuesday released the report of the judicial enquiry carried out into the incident hours after larger bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the government to do so.

Amongst other conclusions, the report said that Shehbaz Sharif did not pass the “disengagement” order as he said before the judicial commission. It also maintained that the operation planned and designed under the Rana Sanaullah “could have easily been avoided” and that the “police officers actively participated in the massacre”.