Model Town incident: LHC jurisdiction to review SC verdict on JIT challenged

LAHORE: Barrister Ali Zafar on Wednesday challenged the jurisdiction of the Lahore High Court (LHC) to review a judgment of the Supreme Court to constitute a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to reinvestigate the Model Town killings incident.

Representing a daughter of a woman killed in the Model Town firing, he argued before a larger bench of the Lahore High Court that the merits of the case were discussed before the apex court.

Barrister Zafar pleaded before the bench that it had been impossible for the victims to expect justice when the investigating agencies were all headed by those who were directly linked to the perpetrators of the heinous act. He alleged that as the ruling party PML-N at the time was directly involved in the Model Town massacre; its failure to hold anyone to account for this heinous crime must not be ignored.

He was still on his legs when the bench rose for December 22 (today).

Khurram Rafiq and several other police officials facing trial in the private complaint by the PAT had challenged the new JIT.

A three member bench had suspended the new JIT on March 22, 2019.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022