LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Thursday turned down a request of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) to make a yet to be released report of Model Town incident’s inquiry a part of its private complaint seeking trial of the prime minister, Punjab chief minister and others on charges of killing its workers in the 2014 incident.

PAT’s counsel Rai Bashir argued before the court that the report of the inquiry conducted by a Lahore High Court judge into the incident should be made a part of the complaint’s proceedings.

He said the report would help the court decide the complaint.

A deputy prosecutor opposed the request and argued that the judicial inquiry was held for the utility of the government and it could not be used for prosecution. The court dismissed the plea and adjourned further hearing till Oct 4.

On previous hearing, PAT general-secretary Khurram Nawaz Gandhapur had testified before the court.

Minhajul Quran’s director administration Jawwad Hamid had filed the private complaint.

The other respondents in the complaint include interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, defence minister Khwaja Asif, railway’s minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq, information minister Pervez Rashid, state minister Abid Sher Ali, MNA Hamza Shahbaz, Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah and IGP Mushtaq Sukhera.

Published in Dawn, September 30th, 2016

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