Model Town tragedy: LHC sets aside demotion order of five cops

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday set aside a notification of demotion of five police officials involved in the Model Town incident.

Justice Faisal Zaman Khan passed the orders on a petition, filed by Hassan Ali Awan and four others against their demotion. Advocate Syed Farhad Ali Shah represented the petitioners and argued before the court that 126 police officers and officials, including the petitioners, were implicated in the Model Town incident.

He submitted that some senior police officers allegedly involved in the incident, were promoted but the petitioners were demoted after being promoted. He submitted that Suleman Ali, Aftab Phularwa and Imran Karamat Bukhari were promoted to SP rank, whereas inspectors Atif Meraj and Rizwan Qadir were made DSPs. However, Hassan Ali Awan and three other petitioners were first promoted to the rank of sub-inspector, but were demoted later on. He stated that the petitioner, Ghulam Ali, was promoted to the rank of inspector, but he was made a sub-inspector again.

He argued that the promotion of any official could not be stopped due to involvement in a criminal case. He pleaded with the court to set aside orders for demotion of the petitioners. However, a provincial law officer opposed the plea, saying that the officials involved in the Model Town incident were demoted in accordance with the law. The court, after hearing detailed arguments of the parties, set aside the notification of demotion of the petitioners. —