Model Town carnage: PML-N leaders decide to record statements

Pervez Rasheed, Khawaja Asif and Rana Sanaullah called off boycott of the inquiry committee.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Joint Investigation Team (JIT) formed to probe Model Town carnage on Thursday has arranged a session in Islamabad. During the meeting, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Pervez Rasheed, Khawaja Asif and Rana Sanaullah called off boycott of the inquiry committee and decided to record their statements. Earlier, SC had issued notices to 146 persons including former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, former Punjab CM and party president Shehbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shehbaz in case pertaining to formation of JIT in Model Town carnage case. Lahore High Court (LHC) had turned down PAT plea seeking summons of ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif, former Chief Minister of Punjab (CM) Shahbaz Sharif and ten other ministers in the case. PAT, in its appeal against the ruling of the trial court, had requested LHC to call former ministers Khawaja Saad Rafique, Rana Sanaullah, Khawaja Asif and others in the case. Police sources had revealed that former Punjab law minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Rana Sanaullah was the mastermind of the carnage. Sanaullah had directed to launch operation against the Model Town protesters despite opposition from the then home secretary Azam Suleman, they added. On June 17, 2014, Punjab police went to remove the barriers placed outside PAT Chief Dr Tahirul Qadri’s residence and MQI Secretariat in Model Town. The MQI workers resisted the move which led to a deadly clash leaving 14 workers dead and dozens injured.