ATC rebukes PAT counsel for 'delaying trial proceedings'.

LAHORE -- An anti-terrorism court on Friday expressed displeasure over Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) for delaying the trial proceedings of the Model Town incident and acquittal applications of the suspects.

Presiding Judge Ijaz Ahmad Buttar was hearing concluding arguments of Advocate Burhan Moazzam Malik on behalf of former IGP Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera and three other suspects in the incident when a counsel for complainant Jawwad Hamid of the PAT requested the judge not to decide the acquittal pleas as his (judge's) tenure was going to end in a few days.

Other suspects who filed acquittal pleas included former DIG Operations Rana Abdul Jabbar, former SP Model Town Tariq Aziz and former town municipal officer (Nishtar Town) Ali Abbas.

Taking exception to the request of PAT's counsel Makhdoom Majeed Hussain, the judge observed that whether the PAT would control the proceedings of court. The judge asked the counsel to cite any law in support of his request.

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'Here you request the court for delaying proceedings and later tell media that court is delaying the proceedings,' the judge reminded the counsel.

Advocate Malik opposed the application of the complainant's counsel and argued that the PAT was trying to control court's proceedings. In his arguments on the acquittal applications, he said no case of terrorism could be...