LAHORE: Tehreek Minhajul Quran patron Dr Tahirul Qadri has strongly condemned the police for chaining an accused of the Model Town incident to a hospital bed of and has raised question on the justice system the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has promised in its election manifesto.

The picture of Muhammad Sultan, an accused in attacking police during their raid on Model Town offices of the Tehreek, tied to the hospital bed when he was admitted there for treatment, has gone viral online a few days ago.

Talking to senior leaders through video link here on Thursday, Dr Qadri condemned the inhuman treatment being meted out to Sultan and said despite tall claims, status quo in Naya Pakistan of Imran Khan was still intact for which, he sarcastically said, the prime minister deserved a lot of appreciation.

“It’s irony that those who orchestrated the gory episode of Model Town are free to leave the country despite being convicts (a reference to former premier Nawaz Sharif and former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif). But those who protested against the police raid, are facing trials and undergoing worst inhuman treatment.”

He recalled that one witness in the Model Town case passed away during trial, while a prisoner died in jail due to renal failure while his appeal for bail was never heard.

“Is this naya Pakistan?”

So far 107 protesters, including Muhammad Sultan, in Model Town incident have been sentenced. On the other hand, those directly involved in the killing of 14 innocents, are going scot-free, he regretted.

He said despite change of government, the victim families of Model Town massacre are still waiting for justice.

Published in Dawn, January 3rd, 2020