LAHORE: The home department on Wednesday gave Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) an attested copy of the Justice Najafi inquiry report into the Model Town incident on the advice of the Punjab advocate general.

The Lahore High Court had on Tuesday ordered the Punjab government to give a copy of the report to the PAT and make it public within 30 days. The government had in response decided to immediately make the report public by uploading it on the official website of the Directorate General of Public Relations, announcing that the PAT could download a copy.

Official sources said that PAT General Secretary Khurram Nawaz Gandapur had approached the home department officials on Tuesday night requesting for an attested copy of the report as per legal procedure. He was asked to visit the department on Wednesday after seeking opinion of the advocate general, who reportedly agreed with Mr Gandapur’s demand.

Sana says such reports are executive, can’t be used to prosecute anyone

Mr Gandapur reached the Civil Secretariat along with a large number of party men who blocked the road. He was invited in and handed over the report.

Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah had on Tuesday found ‘faults’ in the report. And official sources told Dawn that the entire government machinery continued to look for any comment from the PAT leadership after they were given the attested copy.

They said the Punjab government had through the law minister expressed its point of view on the report. But still it was prepared to counter any comment from Dr Tahirul Qadri. “Legally, the report does not appear to bring any negative consequences. But yes, it may invite political implications,” a senior official commented.

When approached, Rana Sanaullah said the report did not fix responsibility on anyone. It was a discussion, an opinion and inconclusive, he claimed.

He said the report had stated that he chaired a meeting and ordered clearance of encroachments from outside the PAT headquarters in Model Town. He said the matter had been brought to the meeting and ordering removal of encroachments was not a crime. He denied ordering what had happened afterwards. “I had not ordered killing of people. How to remove encroachments was the job of the administration. It was disproportionate use of power from both sides,” he added.

The law minister maintained that under the law and as per countless judgements of the Supreme and high courts, reports of judicial inquiries were always executive in nature and could not be used to prosecute anyone. “I cannot use it for my defence either,” he said.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2017