LAHORE: Scores of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) activists and families of those killed in the Model Town incident staged a sit-in in front of the Civil Secretariat on Friday to get a copy of the report of the judicial inquiry into the incident but in vain due to the absence of the top officials.

They had gathered to get the copy after the Lahore High Court direction on Thursday to the Punjab government to make public report of the judicial inquiry conducted by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi.

The PAT activists had assembled in front of the main gate of the Secretariat right at the beginning of its working hours in the morning and sat there till the closing hours, blocking one portion of the Lower Mall.

Top officials stay away from offices

Taking a lesson from the Model Town incidence of June 2014, the government dealt with them carefully. There was no regular police and the PAT workers were allowed to stage sit-in and traffic was diverted to one portion of the dual carriageway.

The newly established anti-riot force (ARF) was deployed to handle the demonstrators. The force personnel were merely carrying protective shields and batons.

The force, including women, was also deployed inside the Secretariat to intercept the demonstrators if any of them managed to break in after breaching the security ring thrown around them. A water cannon was also kept hidden inside the secretariat to assist the ARF if required.

Led by PAT leader Khurram Nawaz Gandapur, the protesters wanted to go inside the secretariat to submit an application for getting the report believed to be laying in the home department. But, no senior officials, including the chief secretary, additional chief secretary home, prosecution secretary and law secretary, were present in the Secretariat. They were reportedly attending meetings of the chief minister and helping prepare a petition challenging the LHC order.

The chief secretary and the additional chief secretary home did not return to the office the entire day.

As the activists lost patience, a PAT delegation led by Mr Gandapur went inside the Secretariat to submit the application but was informed that it could not be received without the orders of the additional chief secretary home.

When insisted, the special secretary home duly received the application and said he was not competent to issue the report or take any other action. He contacted the higher authorities and the advocate general and then informed the delegation that the copy could not be given as the government was filing a petition against the LHC decision.

To a question by a lawyer in the delegation, the official said that giving a copy to PAT would defeat the purpose of the petition by the government.

The delegation returned unsuccessful to the demonstrators who kept raising spirited slogans against the government till 4:30pm.

Before leaving, Mr Gandapur said the home department was bound to issue a copy of the judicial inquiry report. It could refuse the copy only after the high court issues a stay order on a petition the government intends to file to challenge the earlier directions. Therefore, he said, the PAT would file a contempt of court petition against the government.

He said making the report public would expose the role of the chief minister and the law minister.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2017