Model Town killings: ATC orders arrest of DG PFA, ex-DIG

LAHORE: The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) Judge Ijaz Hassan Awan on Friday issued non-bailable arrest warrants for DG Punjab Food Authority (PFA) Capt (retd) Muhammad Usman and former DIG operations Rana Abdul Jabbar for not complying with the court orders, both accused in the Model Town killings case.

The court had summoned both accused in the Model Town case to record their statements, but they didn’t appear before the court. After this, the court issued their non bailable arrest warrants. The court directed CCPO Lahore to arrest the accused and produce them before the court on the next hearing on Saturday.

Later, counsel for both accused appeared before the court and submitted an apology on behalf of their clients, requesting the court to withdraw arrest warrants for their clients. However, the judge refused to withdraw the arrest warrants for Usman and Jabbar.

During the hearing, the court also completed cross-examination on the statement of Assistant Sub-Inspector Nazir and Constable Amjad. Former IG Punjab Mushtaq Sukhera, SP Dr Furrukh and other police officers also appeared in court.

On October 10, An anti-terrorism court had indicted former Punjab inspector general police Mushtaq Sukhera in the case. On October 17, the IG Punjab had suspended 116 police officials accused of being involved in the Model Town tragedy.

Earlier, the court had indicted more than 120 persons in the case including 116 police officials on a private complaint filed by Idara Minhajul Quranfor seeking their trial on charges of killing its workers during 2014 Model Town incident.

Now DG Food Authority Capt Usman at the time of incident was serving as DCO Lahore. 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.

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 Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, then personal secretary to chief minister Syed Tauqir Shah, home minister Azam Suleman and then Lahore commissioner Rashid Mahmood Langrial. Fourteen people were killed and more than 100 injured during the anti-encroachment operation outside the Model Town residence of PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri on June 17, 2014.