Barricades outside Qadri’s residence: Record of complaints sought in Model Town case

LAHORE: A Lahore High Court full bench while hearing appeals against trial court’s decisions about 2014 Model Town incident on Wednesday sought record of the complaints against encroachment outside the residence of Dr Tahirul Qadri and the police contingent dispatched to the scene.

Pakistan Awami Tehreek/Idara Minhajul Quran filed the appeal against an anti-terrorism court for not summoning 12 people (all parliamentarians of PML-N) nominated as accused by the party in its private complaint.

The court had dismissed the complaint of the PAT to the extent of the parliamentarians, including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his brother Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and federal and provincial ministers. However, the court had agreed to summon 125 officials of police and district government for their trial. Consequently, the PAT and the officials including former inspector general of police Mushtaq Sukhera summoned by the trial court challenged the decision before the high court.

During the Wednesday’s hearing, PAT’s counsel Azhar Siddique said the Model Town incident was a conspiracy in fact and the government was not providing them (appellant) with the documents necessary for the trial. He said the barricades outside the residence of Dr Qadri were put on the court orders and the police carried out an illegal operation in the name of encroachment.

The bench headed by Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan adjourned hearing for a day and directed the government to submit details of the complaints against the encroachment outside the Idara Minhajul Quran/residence of Dr Qadri in Model Town and the record of the police force reached the spot to remove the hurdles.

The bench also directed the counsel of PAT to submit list of people killed and injured in the incident. It also summoned notification of Sukhera as IGP and copy of the decision that acquitted Gullu Butt, an infamous character of the incident.

Prosecutor General of Punjab Eihtesham Qadir Shah and former IGP Sukhera were also present in the court. plea against police officer: The Lahore High Court has directed Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), Punjab government and inspector general of police to submit replies in plea against a senior police officer who is running election campaign of his father and brother from Kasur, in violation of public servant rules.

A resident of Kot Radha Kishan (Kasur) filed a petition alleging that DIG (Establishment) Babar Bakht Qureshi had been using his influence and running campaign of his father and brother for upcoming general elections.

He said father of the officer was contesting elections from NA-138 and his brother from PP-182 (Kasur). The petitioner’s counsel argued that respondent police officer being a public servant could not be allowed to participate in the election campaign of his family members and he be restrained from doing the illegal activities. After hearing the arguments, Justice Shahid Waheed sought comments from the respondents and also issued a notice to DIG Bakht for May 30.