Lahore

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday called for the resignation of Punjab’s chief minister and law minister over the 2014 Model Town incident in which 14 people were killed.

In a tweet, the PTI leader said that after the release of the Justice Ali Najafi judicial commission report, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Law Minister Rana Sanaullah should “immediately resign for [the] killing of Pakistani citizens”.

On July 17, 2014, 14 people were killed and 100 others wounded when the Punjab police opened fire to scatter protesting Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers at Model Town area of Lahore outside the residence of PAT chief Dr Tahir UL Qadri.

The Model Town inquiry report was finally made public on Tuesday (December 5) after three years although the inquiry tribunal, headed by Justice Ali Baqar Najafi of the Lahore High Court (LHC), had submitted the 132-page report in the same year.

Punjab Government released the report after the Lahore High Court had issued orders to make it public.

Justice Najafi, while terming the June 2014 tragedy the “most unfortunate incident” in the country’s history, said in the report the police tried to cover up the facts regarding who gave orders to open fire on protesters.

However, the inquiry report into Model Town killing does not name anyone particular but blamed all concerned departments. “The police and all other concerned, without any exception, abetted being desperado, performed daredevil acts, which resulted into irreparable loss,” the report said.

Soon after the release of the report, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, held a press conference, clarifying that: “The report is defective in the eye of law as it is based on secondary evidence, which is not admissible as per the Evidence Act”.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahir UL Qadri, on Wednesday, termed provincial government claims that the report does not blame any government official as “false propaganda”.

He said a meeting of the core committee of his party and lawyers is scheduled for tomorrow to discuss the future action on the report.

He also advised his party workers and the administration to remain ready, as at “anytime a call can be given” for protest.