Daily Times

LAHORE: Family members of the Model Town victims along with Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers on Friday staged a sit-in outside the Civil Secretariat, demanding the Home Department to provide a copy of Justice Baqir Najfi Commission’s report into the tragedy as per the orders of the Lahore High Court.

Some of the protesters like Asif Iqbal, Qaisar Iqbal, Mohammad Siddique and Ashfaq Rasool also submitted a formal application to the additional home secretary – as the home secretary was not present in his office – to provide the judicial report following the court orders. The office of the additional secretary received the application but the judicial report was not officially released until the filing of this news.

After submitting the application, dozens of the members of the PAT, including female workers, led by General Secretary Khurram Nawaz Gandapur gathered at the main gate of the Civil Secretariat on Lower Mall at 9am as per their announcement and staged a protest. They were carrying party flags, placards, posters and banners inscribed with anti-government slogans and their demand for releasing the judicial report.

Talking to the media on the occasion, Gandapur said that the Shehbaz Sharif government had clearly violated the court orders by not releasing the report. He said that his party would against knock the door of the court against this contemptuous act.

The PAT leader said that the PML-N leaders, including the Punjab CM and law minister, were avoiding implementing the court orders, and added that they would not be able to save their skin in this matter by using such tactics.

He said that as per the orders of the court, the home secretary was bound to provide the judicial report, but he failed to do so. He said that his party would file a contempt of court case against him too.

It may be mentioned here that Punjab Police personnel, including lady constables, gave a security cover to the protesters outside the closed gates of the Civil Secretariat, while the traffic on the Lower Mall was diverted to other link roads.

The protesters also offered Friday prayers on the spot and later dispersed peacefully, announcing to file a contempt of court case in the Lahore High Court against the Home Department officials for not cooperating and providing the copy of the judicial inquiry report on the Model Town incident.

Separately, PAT head Dr Tahirul Qadri, terming the Home Department officials’ act as a contempt of court, announced to file a petition in the LHC today (Saturday). He said that by filing an intra-court appeal against the LHC decision about releasing the Najfi report, Shehbaz Sharif had declared a war against the depressed family members of victims of Model Town tragedy. He also advised government officers not to destroy their careers by becoming part of the wrongdoings of the rulers in this case.

Published in Daily Times, September 23^rd 2017.