PAT demands justice, as 10th anniversary of Model Town tragedy observed

The head of the legal team for the Model Town tragedy, Makhdoom Majeed Hussain Shah Advocate, along with the central leaders of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), Khurram Nawaz Gandapur, Noorullah Siddiqui, petitioner Jawad Hamid, and Naeemuddin Chaudhry Advocate, spoke to the media at the memorial for the martyrs.

They appealed to the higher judiciary to issue orders for the speedy resolution of the pending petitions related to the Model Town tragedy in the Supreme Court and the Lahore High Court, so that the trial process can reach a logical conclusion according to the requirements of law and justice.

Due to the prolonged delay in these petitions, the trial court is dealing with acquittal requests from the accused. The former IG of Punjab, who is the main accused in the FIR, was acquitted in the absence of the petitioners' lawyers. They highlighted that none of the main accused involved in planning the tragedy has been summoned to any court to date.

The first Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed for the Model Town incident did not call or record statements from any of the 66 injured or the families of the martyrs present at the scene. Due to this significant legal oversight, the Supreme Court ordered the formation of a new JIT. Dr. Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri presented legal arguments before the Supreme Court's larger bench, which were accepted, leading to the formation of a new JIT.

This new JIT, they said, had completed 86% of its work, but the Lahore High Court suspended its notification due to some petitions. The PAT approached the Supreme Court again regarding this suspension. The Supreme Court ordered the case to be resolved preferably within three months, but more than three years have passed with no progress made so far. The petition for summoning the main accused is still pending in the Supreme Court.

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur, in his media talk, stated that on the Day of Judgment, the first case to be presented in the court of Allah will be that of unjust killing. Ten years have passed, but justice has not been served. He asserted that on June 14, 2024, the 10th anniversary of the Model Town martyrs was observed across the country, and they will continue to seek legal recourse until their last breath. The oppressors will be disgraced in this world and the hereafter.

Meanwhile, prayer ceremonies were organized across the country, including in Lahore, to mark the 10th anniversary. Central leaders laid wreaths on the graves of the martyrs.

After Friday prayers, a Quran recitation session was held at Jamy Shaykh-ul-Islam Model Town Lahore, and was attended by a large number of central leaders and workers. A delegation of Minhaj-ul-Quran Women League, led by Vice President Sidra Karamat and Umme Habiba Ismail, laid wreaths at the martyrs' memorial and prayed for the elevation of their ranks.

Minhaj-ul-Quran International also held prayer ceremonies in Europe, the USA, the UK, and Canada, praying for the elevation of the ranks of the Model Town martyrs and urging the higher judiciary to deliver justice.