“Justice delayed is justice denied”
We have recollection of the events that unfolds the credibility of our judicial system due to which very few submit their confidence in the flawed and biased system. Model town case is one of the leading cases that brings the overripe discussion about the justice system in the spotlight again and has even been discussed day and night by members of every political party, journalists, anchors and the civil society.
In retrospect one can see that the incident happened on 17th of June, 2014 few days before the arrival of Dr.Tahir ul Qadri on 23rd of the same month to lead a movement against the sitting government. Punjab Police did an unannounced operation at his residence ‘Al-Qadriya”. In the operation 14 workers of Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) were shot dead and more than 90 people received metal bullets in their head, neck and mostly on the upper limbs which makes the point axiomatic that they were intending not to merely harass the party but to have a high rate of causalities as a result of the operation.
The debate about the non-alignment of police operation with any higher authority is an extreme case of ridiculous behavior which does not make sense to a normally functioning mind. Historical relations between PAT and police individually don’t hold any level of either minor or severe conflict that could be linked to cook-up the story in this dimension. As this viewpoint doesn’t lay on a rational basis, there is no point of pondering over it.
Acting DIG Rana Abdul Jabbar, SP Model Town Tariq Aziz, SP Iqbal Town Furrukh Raza, SP Saddar Owais, SP Ma’aroof Safdar Wahla, DSPs of all divisions and heavy contingents of police took part in the operation and held a meeting of senior police officials with Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, the day before the operation. As the police department is under the supervision of law ministry and home ministry of the state, so whatever is its conduct, the state departments are to be held accountable in that regard.
Why wasn’t such an important matter taken up directly by the Supreme Court? Everything was left to be investigated by the formation of Judicial Commission by forming a JIT under the command of Chief Minister Punjab Shehbaz Shareef-not to forget that the chairman of Pakistan Awami Tehreek Allama Tahir ul Qadri did not accept the JIT by the government as his demands in its formation were not met. He had told the government to make the commission by including ISI and MI but this demand was subverted. The notorious character of the operation “Gullu Butt” was the first one to escape justice and was set free very soon. Later the report by JIT gave a fair clean chit to the Law Minister and CM Punjab whereas another JIT report made by Justice Najfi held the government authorities, responsible was not shown or allowed to be discussed. There remained a chain of reports coming on Model Town case time to time each escaping the actual criminal and the officials involved out of trial.
It’s been eighteen months now that the victims’ families and those shot by police await justice but this delay is the approval of the denial to assist the families by granting them justice of the unfair state terrorism. Reaching this point has made their demand of the trial of killers in military courts, justified. That’s sad how the so called democracy favors the bunch of killers and protects them under the constitutional shelters. Delaying or denying such justice never helped any regime or rule to stay safe from the hands of public and they cannot remain safe under the self-narrative they used for their own safeguard. So, the justice delayed may be termed as denied but very soon would appear to be the demise of the government.
