LAHORE  - The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday adjourned hearing of petitions filed against new Joint Investigation Team (JIT), formed to probe 2014 Model Town incident, till Sept 9.

The seven-member bench, headed by LHC Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan and comprising Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti, Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan, Justice Ms Aalia Neelum, Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar, Justice Asjad Javaid Ghural and Justice Farooq Haider, heard the petitions, filed by former Punjab police inspector Rizwan Qadir and constable Khurram Rafiq, facing trial in the Model Town incident. At the start of the proceedings, Punjab Chief Secretary Jawwad Rafique Malik, Additional Secretary Home Mubashar Zaidi, Prosecutor General Punjab and others appeared before the bench.

Advocate Azam Nazir Tarar requested the bench for adjourning the matter as petitioners’ counsel Zahid Bukhari was seriously ill and admitted to a hospital. At this, the Chief Justice addressed the counsel and questioned when the matter should be fixed for hearing.  He stated that matter be fixed after summer vacation and it should be decided within four hearings.

The Prosecutor General Punjab submitted that the Chief Secretary and Additional Secretary Home had submitted the JIT report.

The bench observed that it had also sought affidavits from both the officials but the same were submitted.

The bench also observed that an application, filed by the Punjab government before the apex court, was not submitted.

Subsequently  the bench adjourned further hearing till Sept 9. The petitioners had submitted that a judicial inquiry and a JIT had already investigated the 2014 firing incident.  They contended that new JIT was formed in violation of the law. A three-members bench had suspended a notification for formation of new JIT probing Model Town incident, by a two-one majority vote, on March 22, 2019.