LAHORE: The Idara Minhajul Quran has approached the Lahore High Court against a decision by an anti-terrorism court for not putting on trial Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and others in a Model Town killing case.

The trial court in its decision on a private complaint of the party had refused to try 12 ‘suspects’ -- PM Sharif, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, MNA Hamza Shahbaz, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, Railways Minister Khwaja Saad Rafiq, Defence Minister Khwaja Asif, former information minister Pervaiz Rashid, State Minister Abid Sher Ali, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar, former personal secretary to CM Tauqir Shah, Home Secretary Azam Suleman and former Lahore commissioner Rashid Langaryal.

However, the court agreed to try 124 other officials, including Punjab IGP Mushtaq Sukhera and former Lahore DCO Muhammad Usman, in the Model Town killing case.

Through a writ petition, organisation’s administrator Jawad Hamid pleaded that the trial court ignored the case evidence and erred by not summoning 12 respondents.

He alleged that the prime minister and others were the real mastermind and abettors of the incident.

The petitioner prayed to the court to set aside the ATC decision and direct it to summon 12 respondents. The Idara Minhajul Quran is a sister organisation of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2017