LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday allowed last opportunity to the counsel for the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) for arguments against acquittal application of five suspects, including police officials, in Model Town incident.

Presiding Judge Ijaz Ahmad Buttar also warned the PAT’s counsel, Advocate Makhdoom Majeed Hussain, against spreading misconceptions about the court in the media.

The other day, the judge had asked Advocate Hussain to conclude his arguments by Saturday. However, the counsel on Saturday sought a short adjournment.

Giving last opportunity to the counsel, the judge adjourned the hearing till June 21.

Former Punjab Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera, former DIG Operations Rana Abdul Jabbar, former Model Town SP Tariq Aziz, former town municipal officer (Nishtar Town) Ali Abbas and DSP Mian Shafqat Ali, through a counsel, argued that they could not be convicted for acts done as official duty.

The officials asked the court to acquit them of the charges as there was no possibility of their conviction in the trial.

Idara Minhajul Quran, a PAT subsidiary, filed a private complaint before the ATC against then prime minister Nawaz Sharif, then chief minister Shahbaz Sharif and almost all federal and provincial cabinet of the PML-N, besides officials of police and district administration, accusing them of killing its workers.

However, the trial court in its 2017 order had dismissed the private complaint to the extent of the political personalities.

In this case, the court in April last acquitted Lahore Commissioner retired Capt Muhammad Usman, allowing his acquittal application. Mr Usman, who at the time of the incident was posted as district coordination officer (DCO), had filed the acquittal application under section 265-K of the CrPC.

As many as 10 persons were killed and around 100 injured during an `anti-encroachment` operation outside the Model Town residence of PAT chief Dr Tahirul Qadri on June 17, 2014. Jawad Hamid of PAT had filed the private complaint before the trial court.

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2022