LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Tuesday delayed decision on acquittal applications of five suspects including police officials in Model Town incident as Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), the complainant, approached the Lahore High Court against the trial judge.

ATC Presiding Judge Ijaz Ahmad Buttar had allowed a last opportunity to the PAT’s counsel to conclude his arguments against the acquittal applications.

However, Advocate Naeemuddin Chaudhry told the court on Tuesday that his client (PAT) moved the LHC showing distrust on the trial judge and for the transfer of the case to another judge.

He said the LHC already issued notices on the petition of the PAT. He said it would be appropriate to wait for the decision of the high court.

At this, Judge Buttar adjourned the hearing on the acquittal applications till June 24.

Last week, the PAT’s counsel asked the judge to not decide the acquittal application as his tenure was going to expire in a few days. However, the judge did not entertain the objection and directed the counsel to conclude his arguments.

Former IGP Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera, former DIG Operations Rana Abdul Jabbar, former SP Model Town Tariq Aziz, former town municipal officer (Nishtar Town) Ali Abbas and DSP Mian Shafqat Ali filed the acquittal application.

Their counsel Burhan Moazam Malik argued that the petitioners could not be convicted for acts done as official duty. He asked the court to acquit them of the charges as there was no possibility of their conviction in the trial.

In this case, the court during April last acquitted Lahore Commissioner retired Capt Muhammad Usman by allowing his acquittal application.

Usman, who at the time of the incident was posted as district coordination officer, filed the application under section 265-K of CrPC before the court praying his acquittal in the trial.

Ten people 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.

Idara Minhajul Quran, a subsidiary of PAT, 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 members of PML-N besides officials of police and district administration accusing them of killing its workers.

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

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2022