PAT reacts strongly to appointment of Dr Tauqir Shah as Federal Secretary

Reacting strongly to the appointment of Dr Tauqir Shah as Secretary of the Ministry of National Health Services and Regulations, PAT Secretary General Khurram Nawaz Gandapur has said Prime Minister Imran Khan and the entire leadership of the PTI is aware of Dr Tauqir Shah’s role in the Model Town tragedy. He said Dr Tauqir admitted to having complete information and being a coordinator in the tragedy as revealed by the Najfi Commission report. He said that former Secretary to CM is a central figure in the chain of events that led up to the massacre of innocent people and the appointment of such a person to a senior position in the federal bureaucracy is a matter of great surprise and shock for all the right-thinking people.

Khurram Nawaz Gandapur said the previous government gave privileges and promotions to the nominated officer and even appointed him to an ambassadorial assignment in Geneva. However, what is more, regrettable is the fact that they continue to receive special treatment at the hands of the PTI government as well. He said that Dr Tauqir Shah took instructions from CM Shahbaz Sharif and passed them on to the police on the day of Model Town tragedy, something that he confessed himself in the Najfi Commission report. He said all politicians and bureaucrats belonging to Punjab know that Dr Shah was the right-hand man of Shahbaz Sharif. He asked on whose behest the bureaucrats having manifest political connections are being given top postings.

PAT Secretary General further said that Dr Tauqir Shah was part of the meeting in which the decision about launching the Model Town operation was taken. He said the families of the martyrs of Model Town continue to seek justice even after the passage of more than five years, whereas the officers who are responsible for the operation against innocent people are being rewarded with top positions in the bureaucracy.

Meanwhile senior PAT leaders including Basharat Jaspal, Fayyaz Warraich, Qazi Shafique-ur-Rehman, Noorullah Siddiqui and Arif Chaudhry expressed their shock and surprise on the appointment of Dr Tauqir Shah as Secretary In-Charge. They said they did not expect anything from the previous government but the fact that this government led by PM Imran Khan continues to act the same manner is shocking to say the least.