The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has written a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan requesting him to not consider Major (retd) Azam Sulaiman’s name for the office of the chief secretary in the Punjab, media reports said on Sunday.
Sulaiman is among the 12 personnel accused in the Model Town shooting incident of 2014.
PAT secretary-general Khurram Nawaz Gandapur was quoted in reports as saying in the letter that the list of 12 accused shared by families of the deceased with the Lahore High Court contained Major (retd) Sulaiman’s name, since he was the home secretary in the province when the incident took place.
The letter maintained that Major (retd) Sulaiman was directly responsible for delay in issuance of Justice Baqar Najfi Commission’s report. It added that the former home secretary was present during a meeting chaired by then Law Minister Rana Sanaullah on June 16, 2014 in which the operation that led to the Model Town violence was planned. It reminded the PM that his party had supported PAT’s stance on dispensation of justice to the vicitims of violence that day and requested him to not appoint Major (retd) Sulaiman on any government office.
Model Town incident: On June 17, 2014, 14 people were killed and at least 100 others injured after police initiated an operation to remove PAT supporters gathered outside the Model Town residence of Tahirul Qadri. A judicial inquiry held in the wake of protests had held Sanaullah and police higher ups responsible for the incident.
Published in Daily Times, August 27th 2018.
