Lahore High Court (LHC), on Friday, suspended the new joint investigation team (JIT) formed to investigate the killings in Model Town in 2014. According to information available with media sources, the JIT was constituted on January 3 for a fresh investigation of the 2014 Model Town carnage in the wake of a notification issued by the Punjab chief secretary. The team was asked to stop the probe while LHC annulled the notification of its constitution. It has sought a reply from the Punjab government regarding the new JIT. The case was heard by a three-member bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan. As the hearing went underway, Punjab Advocate General, Ahmed Awais, had expressed distrust on the bench and said that the LHC staff had not bothered to inform his office about one of the most important cases in 100 years. Awais had shouted that if he was not heard, he would walk out from the court. Upon which, a member of the bench, Justice Malik Shehzad Ahmed, wondered if he wanted to pressurize the court and warned him to lower his voice otherwise he would be issued contempt of court notice.
Published in Daily Times, March 23rd 2019.
