LAHORE: The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) on Saturday asked Chief Minister Usman Buzdar to accept the Pakistan Muslim League-N spokesman Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan’s challenge to have a debate on the Model Town incident in the Punjab Assembly.

In a letter to the chief minister, PAT secretary general Khurram Nawaz Gandapur said the Punjab government must accept the challenge and fix a day for general discussion on the tragic incident.

He said the Model Town incident was one of the worst cases of human rights violations in the country. It not only gained global attention, but also tarnished image of Pakistan with regard to democratic and civil rights protection in the country.

Mr Gandapur said even after five years, the victims’ families were still waiting for an “impartial” investigation into the incident and justice had become a dream for them.

He said every hurdle in the investigation into the incident, in which 14 innocent people were killed and dozens others wounded, must be highlighted during the discussion in the Punjab Assembly.

He said the PAT believed that former rulers were directly involved in the gory incident, and they created hurdles in the way of justice. “Even after their departure, they are still occupying important state organs through their stooges.” he alleged.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2019