LAHORE: The single-judge Model Town inquiry tribunal on Thursday summoned Punjab’s former law minister Rana Sanaullah and chief minister’s former principal secretary Dr Tauqir Shah for cross-examination on Friday (today).

Tribunal head Justice Ali Baqar Najafi also sought an affidavit from Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif about the June 17 incident.

The judge observed: “At this stage and before conclusion of the inquiry, the tribunal deems it appropriate that in order to ascertain facts and circumstances of the incident, an affidavit be submitted by the chief minister through his authorised agent so as to reach on July 25.”

Earlier, during the Thursday’s in-camera proceedings, the tribunal cross-examined former DIG Operations Lahore Rana Abdul Jabbar and other police officers.

The other officers who were cross-examined by the tribunal included former Headquarters SP Mahroof Safdar Wahla, former Operations SP Sadar Malik Awais, ex-SP CIA/Organised Crime Umar Virk, former Addl. SP (Operations), Allama Iqbal Town, Dr Farrukh Raza, then Investigation SP of Model Town Mohammad Nadeem, then Mobile SP Abdul Raheem Sherazi, former Security SP Salman Ali Khan and former Model Town SP Tariq Aziz.

The tribunal summoned more police officers on the next hearing.

It allowed an application moved by convener of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) seeking written statements of injured persons admitted in the Jinnah Hospital in connection with a case FIR registered at Faisal Town police station.

Meanwhile, a number of lawyers who used to attend tribunal proceedings daily objected to in-camera proceedings.

They threatened to boycott the tribunal if proceedings were not held in open court.

reply sought: The Lahore High Court on Thursday sought a reply from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Inland Revenue Department on a plea against audit notices issued to Idara Minhajul Quran, Model Town.

Arguing on behalf of Minhajul Quran’s administrator, the counsel said the petitioner regularly filed its tax returns and had its accounts audited. However, he said, after June 17 incident the FBR issued audit notices to the petitioner-institution. He said the notices were political victimisation as audit of an educational institution was itself against the FBR rules.

The counsel asked the court to set aside the impugned notices issued by the FBR for being illegal.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan heard initial arguments and sought replies from the respondents by Sept 10. The judge also sought assistance of attorney general on the matter.

Published in Dawn, July 254th, 2014