New JIT formed to probe Model Town killings

LAHORE: The Punjab Home Department Thursday formed a new joint investigation team (JIT) for a fresh probe into the 2014 Model Town killings incident in which 14 people were killed and 85 injured.

According to the notification issued by the Home Department, the new JIT is led by Inspector General (IG) of Motorways AD Khawaja. According to the notification issued by Punjab additional chief secretary, the JIT will comprise four other members including the representatives of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt-Col Muhammad Atiquz Zaman, Military Intelligence (MI) Lt-Col Irfan Mirza and Intelligence Bureau Deputy Director General Muhammad Ahmed Kamal. Qamar Raza Jiskani, DIG headquarters Gilgit-Baltistan will also be part of the JIT. No officer from Punjab has not been included in the JIT. The previous JIT which probed the Model Town killings was constituted by Punjab Home Department on November 17, 2014 under Section 19(1) of Anti-Terrorism Act, in cases of FIR no 696/ 2014 dated 28.8.14 u/s 427/506/3149/395/109/148/302/324/365/452/295-B PPC-7-ATA and 155-C of Police Order registered with Faisal Town Police Station.

The JIT conducted and finalised the investigation after that the JIT had submitted the report in the court concerned. But the aggrieved persons/complainants of the cases were not joined or appeared in the JIT. Therefore, a new JIT under section 19(1) of Anti-Terrorism Act1997 has been formed.

According to the notification, the head of the JIT shall depute one of the members of JIT for the purpose of submission of the report. Earlier, the Supreme Court on December 5 had wrapped up a petition in the Model Town case after the government assured the apex court of forming new JIT to probe the incident. It is pertinent to mention that the larger bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar conducted its hearing to decide whether petition for formation of new joint investigation team was admissible. The apex court on October 6 had taken notice of plea by Bisma Amjad, the daughter of Tanzila Amjad, who was among those martyred in the Model Town firing incident, seeking formation of new investigation team to probe the killings.

Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Dr Tahirul Qadri has welcomed the constitution of new Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on the Model Town killings, terming it the first step towards justice in the case and saying his legal and political struggle had finally borne fruit after four and a half years.

In his response to the new JIT on Thursday, Qadri said it was the struggle by him and his party having a nationwide structure that succeeded in compelling the authorities to set up a new JIT, adding that any other in his place would have vanished long ago without success. Qadri said now he expected that justice would be done with the victims and praised AD Khwaja saying he had been a thorough professional police officer and was expected to fulfill all legal requirements during the investigations. Qadri said he had been demanding since day one that the JIT head should not be from Punjab. He said the Justice Baqar Najfi report had already pointed towards the footprints but now the faces of the culprits would be exposed too.

Earlier, addressing the advisory committee of the party, PAT General Secretary Khurram Nawaz Gandapur demanded removal of Shahbaz Sharif as Chairman Public Accounts Committee for his alleged involvement in the Model Town killings and being under investigation in a host of corruption cases. He said the appointment of a person like Shahbaz Sharif as Chairman PAC amounted to using the platform of the Public Accounts Committee to blackmail the government and state institutions. Secretary Information Noor Ullah Siddique said with the appointment of Shahbaz Sharif as Chairman PAC, hopes of honest and patriotic Pakistanis had blighted who wanted to see their country free of corruption.