LAHORE: A Lahore High Court (LHC) three-member bench extended on Friday stay against new joint investigation team (JIT), formed to probe 2014 Model Town incident, till April 30.

The bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan with Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan and Justice Aalia Neelum members, passed the orders on petitions by former Punjab police inspector Rizwan Qadir and constable Khurram Rafiq, facing trial in the Model Town incident, against the new JIT.

During the proceedings, Advocate General Punjab Ahmad Jamal Sukhera sought a few weeks time for filing the reply. Justice Qasim remarked that the bench did not want to delay the matter and directed for filing the reply as soon as possible.

Later on, the bench adjourned further hearing till April 30 and also extended stay against the new JIT.

The bench suspended a notification for formation of new JIT probing Model Town incident, by a two, one majority vote, on March 22 and sought reply from the Punjab government and others.

Petitioners submitted that a judicial inquiry and a JIT had already investigated the 2014 firing incident. They submitted that the Code of Criminal Procedure and Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 did not allow formation of a second JIT in the same case, and pleaded with the court to declare the new JIT illegal.

The new JIT was constituted after a five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court disposed of suo motu notice on Dec 5, 2018, after the Punjab government stated that a new JIT would be formed to investigate the Model Town case.

The suo motu notice was taken on an application of Bisma Amjad, the daughter of Tanzila Amjad, who was killed in the Model Town incident. She requested for formation of a new JIT to probe the killing of workers of the PAT and Idara Minhajul Quran.

The Model Town incident took place on June 17, 2014, in which 14 people were killed and 100 others injured after police launched an assault on PAT supporters in Model Town, Lahore.

A JIT was formed in 2014, which conducted investigations and finalized its report in May 2015. The JIT had cleared Shehbaz Sharif and Rana Sanaullah and dismissed all charges leveled against them in the FIR.

Published in Dawn, April 20th, 2019