Murder case registered against Pakistani PM, 20 others

Islamabad, Aug 28: Pakistani police on Thursday afternoon registered a murder case against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and 20 others for their alleged involvement in the police shootout June 17 that killed 14 civilian protestors in Lahore, a media report said.

According to the report, police registered the case against the accused persons on the orders of the country's Lahore High Court that Aug 26 upheld a decision of a lower court that had given a verdict against the 21 persons in the murder case, including Sharif.

A sessions court in Lahore hearing the case filed by the Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT) ordered police to register a murder case against the 21 persons including Sharif, his younger brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, some federal and provincial ministers, police officers and other government officers.

Police case number 693/2014 in the record includes the charges of murder, attempt to murder and terrorism, Xinhua reported.

At least 14 party workers, including two women, of the PAT were killed and 84 others injured by police firing during a protest which turned violent in the Model Town area of Lahore June 17 this year.

Soon after the incident, the provincial government formed a single-member inquiry commission to probe into the incident, but the PAT boycotted the commission and filed a petition before the court to register a case against the authorities, including Sharif.

According to reports, the commission had already submitted its report to the Punjab government, but the government could not decide whether to make it public so far.

Police registered the case after a long march turned sit-in by tens of thousands workers of the PAT led by party chief Tahir ul-Qadri entered into the 14th day in capital Islamabad.

The protestors have been demanding the resignation of the prime minister, the chief minister of Punjab apart from demanding reforms in the electoral system and welfare of poor people.

IANS