Judge orders police to book PM, CM in Minhaj murders

• Other 19 accused include interior minister, railways minister, defence minister, Punjab IG, Lahore CCPO
• Complainant’s lawyer says will approach police for FIR when his client returns from Inqilab March

A session court here Saturday directed the police to register a murder case against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and 18 others over 11 casualties that took place following clashes between police and activists of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) in Lahore’s Model Town area on June 17.

A PAT worker had submitted an application with the police to file a first information report (FIR) against a total of 21 people but had to move the court as the police was reluctant in filing the case.

Issuing its orders on the application filed by Jawad Hamid, director administration of Minhajul Quran International, the court directed the Faisal Town station house officer (SHO) to register a case against the 21 nominees which also include former Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah, Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafique, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, former principal secretary of Punjab CM, Tauqir Shah, Lahore deputy commissioner, assistant commissioner, Punjab Police inspector general and Lahore CCPO among others. The court also ordered that a compliance report should be presented to it after registration of the case.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif met Prime Minister Sharif at his Raiwind residence shortly after the court’s order and discussed the overall situation of the country as well as the decision.

The government has decided to challenge the sessions court’s order in the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday, sources told Pakistan Today, adding that it would seek annulling the directives to the police before a case could be registered by the complainant.

However, talking to Pakistan Today, the petitioner’s lawyer Mansoor Khan Afridi said that the session judge’s order would not be affected even if the government moves the higher courts.

He said that they would move the court against the police official concerned for committing contempt if he did not register the case.

“The petitioner/complainant is currently in Islamabad and we will approach the police for registering an FIR when he returns to Lahore,” he said.