LAHORE: Talking to the media in London, Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Shehbaz Sharif said that the Model Town incident was tragic and he announced to constitute a commission on the same day of the incident.
The chief minister said that he held a press conference on June 17, 2014, and requested the Lahore High Court chief justice to set up a judicial commission for the inquiry of the incident.
He further said that his sympathies were with the heirs of the martyrs. However, there should no politics on dead bodies, he added.
Replying to a question, Shehbaz said that the Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) remained on a stay order for 22 months, and some elements created hurdles in this important project for their personal interests.
Punjab CM also said that if there are differences on FATA, the 70 years history of FATA is being changed.
At least 14 people died and 100 were injured in the Model Town incident when police resorted to the use of force against the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers during an ‘anti-encroachment operation’.
The Punjab government earlier this month 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.”
Recently, notable political parties including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) joined rallied to join PAT in demanding Punjab CM and Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah’s resignation for their alleged involvement in the carnage.
I would just like to know from the CM why was his administraion blocking the release of the report for so long?
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