ATC verdict in Private Complaint: Those who ordered carnage not summoned

Complainant Jawad Hamid addressed the media outside the court premises along with the PAT lawyers after announcement of decision by the antiterrorism court in the private complaint. He said that we would not comment on the decision of the court, stating though those who implemented the order have been summoned and those who actually gave the orders have been spared. He said that we would announce our next course of action after reading the judgment in detail. He said that we would use our legal right against every paragraph of the decision with which we would not agree. He said that our point of view is that ruling brothers and federal ministers are our main accused on whose orders police party sprang into action, killing 14 innocent people and injuring 85 in broad day light.

Jawad Hamid said that so far according to the decision, IGP, DIG and former DCO Lahore have been summoned for appearance in the court. He said that we had nominated 139 people in the private complaint but out of these 12 key accused have been spared, whereas 127 have been called by the court.

The hearing of a private complaint started in the antiterrorism court at 9:30 am. It was informed by police that IGP had taken up the charge of his post at 9:35. At this the PAT lawyers said that the police report has endorsed the fact that IGP was present in his office at the time when Model Town tragedy happened and was passing instructions to the raiding police party on wireless and getting reports from them.

Hearing this, Chaudhry Muhammad Azam, judge of the antiterrorism court, said that he would announce the decision today. The PAT workers including women in large number gathered outside the court premises. They chanted slogans against the rulers after the verdict was announced. They vowed to continue legal and political struggle for justice. They said that it was merely the beginning of the journey, which will culminate when the real masterminds of the horrible tragedy are brought to justice.

Speaking on the media, the PAT lawyers said that it is for the first time that the PAT’s point of view has formally been accepted on the floor of the court. They said that acceptance of the private complaint means that all evidence and statements presented by police, JIT and Punjab government were misleading, particularly the FIR registered by Police was bogus and a pack of lies. They said that the background of not releasing the Justice Baqir Najfi Commission report has also been revealed which makes it amply clear that the government was involved in holding it. They said that we would not rest till we bring the main accused in the dock.