Day 2: Model Town tragedy was result of planning: Jawad Hamid

Director Administration of the central secretariat of MQI, Jawad Hamid, continued recording his statement on the second day of the trail in the anti-terrorism court. He gave the statement in the presence of the accused in the court room and said that Model Town tragedy was not an accident but an outcome of the careful planning. He said that in order to stop the arrival of Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri in the country, a phone call came to Khurram Nawaz Gandapur, Fayyaz Warraich and Syed Altaf Shah Gilani from H Block Model Town, Lahore, telling that a car was being sent to pick them up. That is how they were taken to the place in a government vehicle where Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, Rana Sanaullah, Hamza Shahbaz, Dr Toquir Shah, Khawaja Asif, Pervez Rasheed, and Abid Sher Ali were present.

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur was asked to stop the arrival of Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri and cancel his return who told them that the plan of the PAT Chairman’s return to the country is final and there could be change in it. He was then threatened and uncomfortable words were used. Khurram Nawaz Gandapur, Fayyaz Warriach and Syed Altaf Shah Gilani came back on this highhanded attitude. There was a pin drop silence on this statement of Jawad Hamid. He told the court that the first murder was done by SP Suleman who martyred Hakeem Safdar by firing directly and purposefully at him. Constable Nisar fired a burst on Shazia Murtaza on the orders of SP Tariq Aziz at that time. Gun of DIG Abdul Jabbar Abid Hussain killed Tanzila Amjad on his orders. SP Abdur Raheem Sherazi directly fired at Asim Hussain and killed him. SP Umar Virk fired bullets at Khawar Naveed and killed him on the occasion. Sub Inspector Abdur Raoof fired bullets at Shahbaz on the orders of SP Suleman Ali. Umar Raza was killed with the firing of Amir Saleem Sheikh. DSP Imran Kramat pumped bullets into Rizwan Khan. SHO Amir Saleem Sheikh killed Ghulam Rasool. DSP Abdullah Jan fired at Sufi Iqbal and killed him. At the testimony of Jawad Hamid, the colours of the accused turned pale.

The lawyers of the accused came closely to complainant Jawad Hamid and observed his ear whether he is giving a recorded statement in such a detailed manner. Jawad Hamid sought the attention of the ATC judge several times and protested by saying that he was being disturbed on the occasion of recording the statement. PAT lawyers, Rai Bashir Advocate, Naeem-ud-Din Chaudhry, Sardar Ghazanfar Advocate, and Shakeel Mumka Advocate were present in the courtroom.

Talking to the media later on, Jawad Hamid said that we have submitted the whole record of the threatening statements of Khawaja Saad Rafique and Rana Sanaullah to the anti-terrorism court. He said that the statements of both of them are enough to prove that the background of the Model Town tragedy was political and the horrible massacre was the result of a deliberate planning and strategy. He said that he stated whatever he saw with his eyes. He said that the whole world knows that hundreds of police officials gathered in Model Town illegally for the operation.