The trial proceedings of the private complaint in the Model Town tragedy case formally got underway in the anti-terrorism court yesterday. The lawyers of the families of the martyrs and Jawad Hamid, the petitioner of the private complaint gave all the proofs to the accused including 800 CDs, 90,000 statements of threats and 7000 pictures in which the faces of the invading police officials could clearly be seen. The proofs were brought to the court in cars. The accused were visibly nervous when they saw heaps of proofs of their crime.

On the first day of the trial, DIG Rana Abdul Jabbar and SP Dr Iqbal made a request for exemption from the court appearance, which was fiercely opposed by the PAT lawyers. The lawyers maintained that presence of the accused during the trial proceedings is a legal requirement. The lawyers representing the accused stated that the hefty proofs should be got verified and ascertained. Describing the verification demand of the accused’s lawyers as ridiculous, the PAT attorneys maintained that the purpose of pitching this demand is nothing but to seek delay in the proceedings.

Rai Bashir Ahmad Advocate said that those proofs have been handed over to the accused that were submitted in the anti-terrorism court along with the private complaint, stating that these proofs are in accordance with the master record.

After the proceedings, the PAT team of lawyers that included Rai Bashir Advocate, Naeem-ud-Din Chaudhry Advocate, Jawad Hamid, Shakeel Mumka Advocate, Ghazanfar Hussain Advocate, and Yasir Malik Advocate spoke to the media outside the court. They said that in the cases that the Sharifs are facing trial, they not only seek concessions from the courts but also look them in the eye. They said that we have handed over all the proofs to the accused. The next hearing of the case will take place on November 23.

Meanwhile, giving his arguments in the hearing of the intra-court appeal against the decision of the single member bench of the Lahore High Court regarding making Justice Najfi Commission report public, PAT lawyer Ali Zafar Advocate said that it is the responsibility of the courts and the system of justice to bring the truth out in the open regarding Model town tragedy. He said that Model Town massacre is a state terrorism in which one province of the federation mercilessly killed innocent people in broad daylight. He stated that all facts that can help reach truth including publication of Justice Najfi Commission report should be laid bare for everyone to see. He said that the confidence of the citizenry in the justice system and the state will be strengthened only when they are given access to the truth. He said that constitution, law and the Holy Quran emphasize the primacy of establishment of truth, adding that the attitude of the provincial government of Punjab so far shows that it wants to keep the facts under the wrap. He said that who was involved in the tragedy and who was not, we want these facts out on the basis of truth. The next hearing of the intra-court appeal will take place on November 21.