LAHORE: The cause list of a Lahore High Court larger bench, formed to hear petitions against the formation of a joint investigation team (JIT) for a fresh probe into the 2014 Model Town incident, was cancelled on Thursday due to unavailability of two of its members.

Headed by Justice Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, the seven-member bench was scheduled to resume its hearing on Friday (today). However, the registrar office cancelled the cause list of the bench due to the unavailability of two of its members at the principal seat.

The bench members include Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz, Justice Farooq Haider, Justice Shakeel Ahmad and Justice Muhammad Tariq Nadeem.

Previously, a seven-member bench headed by the former chief justice was hearing the case, but due to retirement or elevation of its members to the Supreme Court, that bench was dissolved.

Therefore, Chief Justice Aalia Neelum constituted a new larger bench led by Justice Rizvi.

Khurram Rafiq and several other police officials facing trial in a private complaint of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) had filed the petitions in 2019 challenging the legality of a new joint investigation team (JIT) formed by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led provincial government to reinvestigate the Model Town incident.

A full bench had on March 22, 2019, suspended the new joint investigation team.

At least 10 people were killed and around 100 injured during an ‘anti-encroachment’ operation outside the Model Town residence of Pakistan Awami Tehreek chief Dr Tahirul Qadri on June 17, 2014.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2024