LAHORE - A three-judge bench will give its verdict today on whether exclusion of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, former chief minister Shehbaz Sharif and about a dozen other political figures from the FIR registered on account of Model Town killings was justified or not.

The bench will also pass an order on a petition filed by then police inspector general Mushtaq Ahmed Sukhera for exclusion of his name from the FIR.

More than a dozen supporters of the Pakistan Awami Tehrik were killed in a police action in Model Town in 2014 which was taken to remove barricades from the residence of Dr Tahirul Qadri.

PAT leader Jawad Hamid had moved the LHC to include the names of former prime minister, his bother chief minister and about a dozen others in the FIR registered after the tragedy.  They were initially mentioned in the FIR but excluded after investigations.

The former IGP said in his petition that his name had been included in the FIR at a later stage, which was without any justification.

Justice Muhammad Khan will announce the verdict. Other members of the bench are Justice Alia Neelam and Justice Sardar Ahmed Naeem.

‘Ashrafi needs no security’

Security agencies are of the view that Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Maulana Tahir Ashrafi needs no security and if he feels necessary he can make his personal arrangements.

A report on the subject was submitted to the LHC on Tuesday. CCPO Lahore presented the report on a petition by the PUC chief after his security detail was withdrawn. The court was informed that to keep private security the PUC chief would require approval of the Punjab government. The matter would now come up for hearing on Oct 15.

Abid Sher moves court against his rival

Former minister of state Abid Sher Ali has challenged the victory of his rival Farrukh Habib from NA-108 (Faisalabad).

In a petition to the LHC, the PML-N leader alleged that a large number of votes cast to him had been rejected by the election staff without any justification. He prayed that the victory notification of his rival be annulled. Meanwhile, a petition against the appointment of Murtaza Jafri as principal of the National College of Arts was disposed as not-maintainable. The petitioner had said that Mr Jafri was above 60 years of age and was not qualified to hold the post as it was meant for one between 35 and 50 years.