Model Town incident: LHC larger bench to hear petitions for new JIT

LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti has constituted a new larger bench to hear pending petitions against establishment of a new joint investigation team (JIT) for a fresh probe into the 2014 Model Town incident.

Chief Justice Bhatti would head the seven-member larger bench along with Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan, Justice Aalia Neelum, Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, Justice Sardar Ahmad Naeem, Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh.

The bench would resume its hearing on Sept 14.

Khurram Rafiq and several other police officials facing trial in the private complaint filed by the PAT had filed the petitions in 2019 challenging the legality of the new JIT formed by the Punjab government.

A full bench had on March 22, 2019 suspended the new JIT.

On June 17, 2014, at least 14 people were killed and 100 others injured when the police opened fire to disperse protesting activists of the PAT during an ‘anti-encroachment’ operation outside the residence of Dr Tahirul Qadri.