News Desk |
Imran Khan, Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) demanded that Punjab’s Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah must resign immediately after the shocking revelations of the Model Town inquiry tribunal report.
In a tweet Wednesday, Khan said, “After the Najafi Report revelations, CM [Punjab] Shahbaz Sharif and Rana Sanaullah should immediately resign for killing Pakistani citizens.”
After the Najafi Report revelations, CM Shahbaz Sharif and Rana Sanaullah should immediately resign for killing Pakistani citizens
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) December 6, 2017
What Happened on that Tragic Day?
The tragic events of 17th June 2014 cast serious aspersions on the Punjab Government. The footage from the day depicted a gory story where the police began shooting which resulted in the demise of 14 unarmed members of the Pakistan Awaami Tehreek (PAT) including pregnant women. With the police being a provincial subject and the place being yards away from the house of Shahbaz Sharif coupled with the fact that no government official paid a visit to the affectees, PAT ascribed the daylight murders to the Punjab government especially Shahbaz Sharif and Rana Sanaullah.
So far, Rana Sanaullah has been defending the findings of the report saying that neither he nor CM Punjab is responsible for what happened in Model Town.
Rana justified the police action rather haughtily; he said that Dr. Qadri had incited his disciples to defy the government. However, eyewitnesses and video footage presented a different view to that dished out by Rana. He was removed from his position of Law Minister only to be reinstated.
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The Judicial Commission headed by Justice Baqir Najfi gave serious findings on the involvement of the Punjab Government but the report was not released for three long years. Law Minister Rana Sanaullah held the report saying that it is the prerogative of the government.
The report compiled by Justice Baqir Ali Najfi of the Lahore High Court (LHC) directly holds Punjab government responsible for the ‘bloodbath’ in the Model Town area.
The report compiled by Justice Baqir Ali Najfi of the Lahore High Court (LHC) directly holds Punjab government responsible for the ‘bloodbath’ in the Model Town area.
It was mentioned in the report that Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif had not ordained the police to ‘disengage’ from the clashes with Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) supporters or hold fire for that matter, resulting in the deaths of at least 14 people and severe injuries to over 90 others.
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The report says neither former Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah nor former principal secretary to the chief minister, Dr. Tauqeer Shah, had mentioned in their affidavits to the commission that they had been directed by the chief minister to ‘disengage’ the police.
The release of the report is expected to exacerbate problems for the ruling party which is already under pressure due to the NAB references. Earlier, Dr. Tahir ul Qadri, the head of PAT, categorically stated that he wants an impartial trial of the murders in Model Town and will not accept any mediation for the military.
So far, Rana Sanaullah has been defending the findings of the report saying that neither he nor CM Punjab is responsible for what happened in Model Town. However, analysts have argued that the noose around the necks of both lawmakers is tightening and that this further increases PML-N’s problems.