LAHORE: Former Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah, who is facing judicial inquiry into Model Town incident, has demanded Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri should also be included in the probe.

Rana Sana has been asked to resign as minister by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to ensure an impartial probe into the incident.

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He told Dawn here on Wednesday Dr Qadri should also be included into the investigations for inciting the Minhajul Quran workers and the public to offer resistance against removal of security barriers erected around the Minhaj headquarters and PAT chief’s Model Town residence.

Rana Sana said he had taken the same stance before the one-judge judicial tribunal probing the incident.

He argued that the Model Town incident was not pre-planned and it took place because of sudden provocation.

He said that like the officers deputed for disciplining the police force during the anti-encroachment operation were being grilled during departmental and judicial inquiries for their alleged failure to control the force, the other side should also be involved which had been provoking the party activists as well as general public through the media, tweets and short messaging service (SMS) to come out of their homes and offer ‘sacrifices’ while resisting the removal of security barriers.

Dr Qadri, the former minister said, was the main person, besides other Minhaj leadership, who were instigating the masses during the June 17 incident.

He demanded the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) should not accept the excuse that the Minhaj leadership was not cooperating in the investigation as the stance had no legal status and was against the very justice system.

“If (the plea is) allowed once, every party considering its legal stance weak would begin invoking the formula of boycott of judicial process, resulting in total chaos in the legal system.”

Published in Dawn, July 17th , 2014