LAHORE - A Lahore High Court full bench on Thursday directed Punjab government’s lawyer to ensure his presence on the next hearing to argue on the appeal challenging decision of a single bench regarding publication of Model Town inquiry report.
The bench headed by Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh took up the matter and warned that appeal would be dismissed for non-prosecution if the government’s lawyer failed to appear on the next date of hearing which has been fixed as Oct 24.
During the proceedings, Punjab government’s lawyer Khawaja Haris could not appear before the court for arguments on the appeal. However, the lawyers who were representing Pakistan Awami Tehreek and the victim families expressed serious concerns over his non-appearance before the full bench.
They said that the government was intentionally wasting the time of the court by not appearing in the court. Advocate Khwaja Ahmad Tariq Raheem and Advocate Ishtiaq Ch had been representing the victim families of Model Town incident.
Khawaja Ahmad Tariq alleged that the efforts were being made for last three months to delay the hearing on appeal. The arguments which could have been concluded within two hours had been given six days, he said. He said he had no objection who would come to argue on the behalf of the government but it should be argued. On it, the bench asked the law officer present in the courtroom who replied that Khwaja Haris would appear on next Tuesday. The court accepted the plea and adjourned the proceedings until Oct 24.
On Sept 21, a single bench comprising Justice Sayyed Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi ordered Punjab government to issue Model Town inquiry report to the victims of the incident and held that victims had the right to have access to the information that who were actually the wrong doers of the incident.