APS attack: Two military officials to record statements today

PESHAWAR: Two military officers would appear before the Judicial Commission holding an inquiry into the terrorist attack on the Army Public School and College for recording their statements today.

"The Ministry of Defence has shared the schedule of two military officers for recording statements before the Judicial Commission," Imranullah, focal person for the commission, told The News on Sunday.

He said that Brig Inayatullah, former commander 102 Brigade of the 11 Corps, was leading the operation against the militants holed up in the school, while Brig Mudassir Azam was chairman Board of Governors (BoG) of the APS at the time of the December 2014 attack.

He said the commission, after recording statements of the two officers, would decide whether or not the appearance of the remaining military officers including the retired corps commander Peshawar Lt Gen Hidayatur Rehman is necessary.

The focal person said that the Ministry of Defence had shared the schedule about recording statements of the military officers after the commission issued it a reminder.

Inamullah Wazir, Secretary of the Judicial Commission, had earlier sent letter to the Ministry of Defence for the appearance of the former corps commander Lt Gen Hidayatur Rehman, who was patron-in-chief of the Army Public School and College at the time of the APS attack, Brigadier Mudassir Azam, Brigadier Inayatullah, Major Dr Asim Shahzad of the Army Medical College and secretary the APS BoG Major Imran for recording their statements.

The commission has so far recorded the statements of top police officers as consequential witnesses. They include Inspector General of Police Salahuddin Mehsud, former IGP Nasir Khan Durrani and Suhail Khalid, the then SP CTD Peshawar. The former secretary Home and Tribal Affairs Syed Akhtar Ali Shah, a retired police officer, has also recorded his statement.

Justice Muhammad Ibrahim Khan, head of the Judicial Commission, had paid a visit to the APS where he was briefed by its administration about the attack. As many as 147 people, including 132 students, were martyred in the attack carried out by six militants affiliated with the outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on December 16, 2014.

The commission's focal person said the inquiry report would be submitted before the newly appointed Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa for a decision in the APS attack suo moto case.