Quetta Inquiry Commission: SC unhappy over not implementing its recommendations

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed displeasure over the lack of progress made on the recommendations of the Quetta inquiry commission.

A three-member bench headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa heard the suo moto notice case pertaining to the suicide bombing in Quetta on August 8, 2016, which had claimed 76 lives, including 57 lawyers.

The report of the Justice Qazi Faez Isa-led inquiry commission into the massacre had stated that the absence of doctors and other staff of the Sandeman Provincial Hospital contributed to the severity of the incident as some victims had died on not receiving timely treatment.

The court had sought additional reports on the progress made on the inquiry commission’s recommendations from the police, health department and the provincial government. DIG Aitzaz Goraya informed the court that five terrorists involved in the incident had been killed, one was under arrest, while search for two fugitives was on.

Justice Gulzar Ahmed remarked that such a big incident had happened, but nothing had been done. Out of the 13 operation rooms at the Civil Hospital, only one was functional, he added. A Balochistan police representative said the provincial police were ready to implement the recommendations.

The court ordered that the trauma centre of the Sandeman Civil Hospital, Quetta, should be opened immediately and the hospital upgraded. More doctors should be hired and wounded be given proper treatment, it added.

To this, the Balochistan special secretary said the provincial government had issued a notification for the trauma centre. Upon this, Justice Khosa remarked that institutions did not work just by issuing notifications. The government was also responsible for ensuring that doctors were present at the hospital, he added.

In-charge doctor of the trauma centre said that some new doctors had been hired, but they had not reported it as yet. The bench also ordered for a detailed report on whether all the recommendations of the commission had been implemented or not. The report should also mention if the families of those injured or martyred have been given a plot as promised or not, and whether someone from the martyrs' families has been given a government job. The court asked the relevant departments to deliver on promises made after the tragedy and adjourned the hearing till September 12.