Punjab govt files appeal against LHC order to release Model Town report

LAHORE: The Punjab government has filed an intra-court appeal in the Lahore High Court against the decision of a single bench to make public the judicial inquiry report of the Model Town incident. 

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah confirmed filing of the appeal Friday. The appeal states that as the matter is under review by a full bench of the high court, the decision of the single bench should be dismissed.

On Thursday, LHC Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi ordered the Punjab government to release the inquiry report into the 2014 incident — which had resulted in the killing of 14 persons and injuring over 100 PAT workers in clashes with police. 

Later, sources said the government decided to file an intra-court appeal as the judicial report contains matters of national importance that cannot be disclosed at the moment. 

Earlier, it was reported that a full bench of the court will hear all the petitions on the Model Town tragedy on September 25. A three-member bench of LHC headed by interim Chief Justice Yawar Ali will hear the different cases demanding the Model Town judicial report to be made public. 

The petitions have been filed by the families of victims killed in Model Town during an ‘anti-encroachment’ operation conducted by police against the PAT headquarters. At least 14 people were killed and 100 others injured in the police action.