PAT to challenge ATC decision in court: Qadri

LAHORE: Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri has said that the party will challenge the Anti-Terrorism Court’s decision of not trying the rulers in the Lahore High Court.

In a press conference via video-link from Canada here on Wednesday evening, he said the inspector general of police (IGP), Punjab, and other officials were summoned by the court on the basis of evidence provided by the PAT but the 'mastermind' of the Model Town killings had been given a clean chit on the same evidence. He said the IGP and other officials had no right to stay in office till the final verdict was made.

He said Rana Sanaullah had admitted before the JIT that on June 16, 2014, a meeting was held at the Civil Secretariat to remove barriers from Model Town which was attended by Commissioner Rashad Langrial, Home secretary Azam Salman and CM’s Principal Secretary Dr Tauqir Shah and others.

The court could have summoned the official meeting minutes, he said, adding his admission of holding a meeting and the evidence submitted by PAT were enough to try all the bigwigs. Had the court summoned the June 16 meeting minutes, the masterminds would have been exposed, he said.   

Recalling events, he said the rulers got panicked when he had announced a nation-wide protest drive against the government for May 11, 2014, through a press conference held on April 14, 2014, that was followed by announcement of a 10-point agenda on May 29, 2014, and a call for another country-wide protest.

 Following that, he said, the prime minister and chief minister had an urgent meeting on June 15, 2014 to discuss his (Dr Tahirul Qadri’s) return and the same day PAT leaders were threatened.

Dr Tahir said the chief minister had announced at a press conference that he was setting up a judicial commission on the Model Town killings and if anything was proved against him, he would resign. The report of the commission was never made public, Qadri said. He said it was unfortunate that the influential accused in the Model Town case were not even summoned or questioned. He also condemned the double standards in dispensation of justice and said there seemed to be different laws for the haves and the have-nots.

He said the PAT would not budge an inch from its stance on Qisas. He said if the Qazi Essa Commission could have been made public, why the Baqar Najafi Report would not be released. He said PAT had moved the LHC two years ago for the release of the Najafi report.

PAT Secretary-General Khurram Nawaz Gundapur, Mustagees Jawad Hamid, advocates Naeemuddin Chaudhry, Ishtiaq Chaudhry among other leaders were  present at the press conference.