Daily Times

LAHORE: While addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Pakistan Awami Tehreek Chief Tahir-ul-Qadri said that government’s claim that none of its officials were blamed in Justice Baqir Najfi’s report was nothing but false propaganda.

He said that in the past 26 hours, various government officials, including Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, said that the report did not hold any government official responsible for the Model Town incident. He added that this was nothing but government propaganda.

“I did not try to access the original report before the court ordered for it to be released,” Qadri said, “Since it has already been released, it needs to be compared with the original report”.

He said that the report released by the government was not the original report but an attested copy and alleged that it was tempered to save Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Rana Sanaullah who he said had ordered the massacre.

“A meeting of the party’s core committee and lawyers is scheduled for tomorrow to discuss and design the future strategy regarding the matter,” he said.

He also advised his party’s workers to be ready for his call. He directed them to keep his “container” ready.

He further said that his plans for Umrah on December 11 were subject to the development of the situation, adding that seeking justice was an obligation he could not avoid.

Discussing the contents of the report, Qadri claimed that the force used by the police during the operation to clear barriers was disproportionate when compared to the resistance offered by “unarmed protesters”.

At least 14 people were killed and 100 others were injured in a police action against PAT workers during an ‘anti-encroachment operation’ on June 17, 2014.