New JIT formed for fresh Model Town probe

LAHORE: The Punjab Home Department on Thursday formed a new Joint Investigation Team (JIT) for a fresh probe into the 2014 Model Town incident.

According to the notification issued by the home department, the new JIT led by Inspector General (IG) of Motorways A.D. Khawaja will initiate a fresh probe into the Model Town incident.

The Punjab additional chief secretary told the journalists that the JIT will comprise of representatives of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB).

DIG Headquarters police Gilgit-Baltistan Qamar Raza will also be the part of the new JIT, he added.

Earlier, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, on December 5, had winded up a petition in the Model Town case after the government assured the apex court to form new joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the incident.

The larger bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar conducted its hearing to decide whether the petition for the formation of new joint investigation team was admissible.

The apex court on October 6 had taken notice of plea by Bisma Amjad, the daughter of Tanzila Amjad who was among those martyred in the Model Town firing incident, seeking the formation of a new investigation team to probe the carnage.

Model Town incident

On June 17, 2014, at least 14 people were killed and 100 others injured when the police opened fire to disperse protesting Pakistan Awami Tehreek workers during an anti-encroachment operation outside the residence of PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri.

The one-person judicial commission formed to probe the Model Town incident held that the operation planned under the then Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah “could have easily been avoided” and that the “police officers actively participated in the massacre”.

“This tribunal has very carefully seen the CD of the first press conference of Chief Minister Punjab after the incident in which he did not specifically mention about his direction of disengagement. It has become crystal clear that order of disengagement was not passed at all, rather position taken by CM Punjab appears to be an afterthought defence,” says the report.

The commission maintained that it arrived at a conclusion after “putting all facts and circumstances in juxtapositions”.