LAHORE: In a press conference after the violent clash between supporters of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and police on Tuesday, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said he will resign if found responsible for the incident.

"The deaths in Lahore's Model Town are unfortunate.I have ordered the formation of a judicial commission to probe the incident."

He said he will not rest until the commission ascertains who is responsible for the the incident and that they will be punished according to the law.

He also offered condolences to Dr Tahirul Qadri and the families of the victims over what he said are unfortunate deaths.

"I request the people of Punjab to please maintain patience and tolerance, even though emotions are high," he added.

He said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had never engaged in the politics of bullets or batons and any one was free to lodge an FIR against him.

Chief Minister Sharif also announced financial assistance of Rs3 million each for the heirs of those who died in the Model Town incident.

According to the Punjab government spokesman, the chief minister also directed the concerned authorities to provide best medical facilities free of cost to the injured.

IGP Punjab vows ‘internal inquiry’ besides judicial

Speaking to media representatives, Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Punjab Mushtaq Sukhera said that an internal probe would be launched besides the judicial investigation into the incident.

“We won’t wait for the judicial probe,” he said, adding that he and all senior police officers would make themselves available for the investigation.

Expressing sorrow over the killing of people, Sukhera said that Punjab Police regret the incident.

“We are not protecting the role of Punjab Police in the incident … basic objective of the police is to protect lives and properties of the people.”

The Punjab Police chief remarked that the law enforcers resorted to act against those who opened fire and pelted stones at the police.

“Police resorted to only aerial firing in reaction to the resistance shown by the protesters,” he said.

“Punjab police present itself for the judicial inquiry into the incident,” he added.

Shahbaz Sharif should resign, says Imran Khan

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan called for Chief Minister Shahbaz's resignation over the deaths in Lahore.

Addressing the press in Islamabad, Khan said Punjab Police was being used by the provincial government in all the wrong ways.

He said police in Punjab would break the law at the behest of the Sharif brothers, adding that a democratic government should not be shooting at unarmed members of the public.

Khan moreover said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was never a democrat, adding that a year in government had proven that the PML-N chief was neither a leader not a statesman.

The PTI chief then called for the resignations of Shahbaz Sharif, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah and Punjab's inspector general police.