Agency’s deputy director says data will be analysed in 48 hours

Justice Najfi refuses to keep proceedings in-camera

JIT sources say five PAT supporters who opened fire on police have been identified

The one-person judicial commission investigating the Model Town incident on Wednesday rejected a petition to keep its investigation under wraps, as it handed over the call records of senior Punjab government officials, including the chief minister, to the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) for analysis.

As the commission’s investigation opened on Wednesday, Justice Ali Baqir Najfi expressed displeasure over the failure of the directors of intelligence agencies to appear before it. Subsequently, he issued notices for them.

Later, ISI Deputy Director Asad Ali Khan appeared before the commission and submitted a report on the ongoing investigation. The commission also summoned a report from the police pertaining to the security of those supporting the investigation.

Justice Najfi also rejected a request seeking to prevent media coverage of the commission’s proceedings. He said the media was an independent body and nobody would be allowed to repress its freedom, adding that the matter had been highlighted because the media had operated as an independent institution.

Meanwhile, representatives of three cellular companies – Mobilink, Ufone and Warid Telecom – presented details of the phone calls of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, former law minister Rana Sanaullah, CM’s former principal secretary Dr Touqeer Shah and 15 others made on June 16 and 17. The commission handed over the data to ISI’s Khan, who said that the data’s analysis would be completed within 48 hours.

The judge later adjourned the hearing till Friday.

JIT MAKES A ‘BREAKTHROUGH’:

Meanwhile, sources in the joint investigation team (JIT) formed by the Punjab government to probe the Model Town clashes told Pakistan Today that they had tracked down five Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) workers who had allegedly opened fired on the police personnel.

According to the sources, 12 rounds had been fired from two Kalashnikov assault rifles that were recovered from Minhaj University, adding that the bullet shells had matched the guns during forensic examination. They claimed that 34 bullets had been fired from three pistols recovered from the university and the shells perfectly matched the weapons.

The sources said that the JIT had also been able to identify the five PAT workers who had fired the weapons but no decision has been taken as yet regarding their arrests.