ATC records statements in Model Town case

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday adjourned the hearing of Model Town case after recording the statements of three witnesses.

The court has adjourned by May15 (today). It is pertinent to mention here that the ATC is conducting hearing of the case on daily basis on the directions of the apex court. Earlier, the court had indicted 116 police officials on a private complaint filed by Idara Minhajul Quran for seeking their trial on charges of killing its workers during 2014 Model Town incident.

The court had in 2017 partially admitted the complaint against 125 officials of police and district government while rejecting it to the extent of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and 10 others including federal and provincial ministers. Appeals of the accused officials summoned by the trial court were pending with the Lahore High Court.

The 12 political leaders against whom the ATC had rejected the complaint are Nawaz Sharif, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, MNA Hamza Shahbaz, Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq, Foreign Minister Khwaja Asif, former information minister Pervaiz Rashid, State Minister Abid Sher Ali, former interior minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan, then personal secretary to chief minister Syed Tauqir Shah, home minister Azam Suleman and then Lahore commissioner Rashid Mahmood Langrial.