LAHORE: The Supreme Court on Saturday issued notices to the Punjab government and the prosecution department on an application seeking constitution of a high-powered independent Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the 2014 Model Town incident.

A two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar had taken up the application moved by Bisma Amjad, an aggrieved party in the Model Town case. Pakistan Awami Tehreek chairman Dr Tahirul Qadri and Secretary General Khurram Nawaz Gandapur also appeared before the court in support of the applicant.

During the hearing, Mr Qadri came to the rostrum and told the chief justice that the workers of the PAT had been demanding investigation by an impartial JIT since the Model Town incident occurred. He complained that the members of a JIT formed by previous government were themselves suspects in the case. He said the JIT had recorded one-sided evidence as affected persons had not appeared before it due to pressure of the then government.

He also questioned extension in the appointment of Prosecutor General Punjab Eihtesham Qadir Shah. He said the perks being enjoyed by Mr Shah had never been given to a prosecutor general.

CJP wants to know status of death sentence in Zainab case

Mr Qadri reiterated that an independent JIT was critical to ensure justice to the victims of the Model Town incident.

Chief Justice Nisar said the court would seek opinion of the government and prosecution department on a point whether a new JIT could be formed when a private complaint on the same matter was pending with a court.

Mr Qadri said new JITs had been constituted in different cases including Baldia factory incident of Karachi.

However, the chief justice issued notices to the Punjab advocate general, the prosecutor general and the suspects being tried by trial court in private complaint of the PAT on the point of new JIT in Model Town case.

ZAINAB CASE: The chief justice sought progress report on the mercy petition of Imran Ali against death penalty in seven-year-old Zanaib’s rape-murder case.

Hearing multiple cases of public interest at the Supreme Court Lahore registry, the chief justice asked a government law officer if the sentence of convict in Zainab’s case had been executed.

However, the law officer told the top judge that mercy petition of the convict against the sentence was pending with the office of the president for the last three months.

At this, Chief Justice Nisar directed the registrar of the SC to establish a contact with the office of the president and apprise him about progress on the mercy petition of the convict.

An anti-terrorism court had on Feb 17, 2018 awarded death sentence on four counts to Imran Ali following a jail trial. The convict was also given life imprisonment and a seven-year jail term in addition to the death penalty. The Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court had dismissed his appeals against the sentence.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2018