LAHORE:The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has demanded that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif resign from the office in the wake of the Model Town inquiry report and reinvestigation into the incident by a joint investigation team (JIT) on the pattern of the Panama Papers Leak case. The PPP is waiting for a policy guideline from the central leadership on the issue, whereas the PML-Q believes the ruling PML-N cannot escape accountability.

“Shahbaz should resign as chief minister in line with his promise when he had ordered an inquiry into the Model Town killings three years ago,” Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly and PTI elder Mian Mahmoodur Rashid demanded in a resolution submitted with the provincial assembly on Tuesday.

“Other people implicated in the Justice Baqir Najafi Commission report on the Model Town killings should also resign or should be removed from their offices for a fair trial into the incident,” he stated.

He told reporters he also sought the formation a Panama Papers Leak case-like JIT to re-investigate the incident for the provision of justice to the victim families.

Mr Rashid told Dawn the PTI parliamentary party would meet on Wednesday to take a decision on bringing a no-trust motion against the Shahbaz government before taking other opposition parties on board. He said he hoped that saner souls in the ruling PML-N would also support the motion.

About Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, the opposition leader said Mr Sanaullah had been the most controversial law minister. He advised the minister to resign and surrender before the land of law for making the trial free of any iota of doubt that it was influenced by the powerful.

Qazi Ahmad Saeed, PPP parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly, told Dawn they were waiting for a guideline from the leadership to take a formal position on the issue. Though the PTI had made no contact for framing a joint policy, he said opposition parties in the Punjab Assembly were united as far as “disgusting policies of Shahbaz are concerned”.

PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said the “Shahbaz gang” may not escape the proverbial long arm of law no matter whatever plans they have.

Published in Dawn, December 6th, 2017