Quetta hospital bombing case: Govt seems uninterested in implementing commission report, says SC

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) was informed on Monday that the government had already committed budgetary and human resources for countering terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

A three-member bench of apex court, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, heard a suo moto case of killing of lawyers at the Civil Hospital, Quetta in a suicide bombing on August 8, 2016.

Majority of those killed in the bombing were lawyers. The court disposed of all the applications and ruled that an appropriate order would be passed soon. Appearing on notice, Attorney General for Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf told the court that on careful consideration of the inquiry commission report, the federal government, ministry of interior and all the divisions will seek guidance from the content and recommendations made by Justice Qazi Faez in the report. He said the government had already committed budgetary and human resources for countering all forms of terrorism.

“Not only the recommendations of the commission are under contemplation, but also the federal government is going beyond recommendations and has taken measures like deployment of satellite system and introduction of Safe City Project and geo-fencing to unearth terror networks”, the AG said. He further submitted that counter-terrorism was one stop shop, as the process could be addressed by making coordinate efforts for which the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) would be working more effectively under the guidance of the cabinet.

It is pertinent to mention that former Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali had constituted one-man commission comprising Justice Qazi Faez Isa. The commission while giving its findings found both the federal and provincial governments short-sighted and confused over the fight against terrorism. The commission lamented that the Balochistan government was directionless and plagued with nepotism.

The inquiry commission report had further observed that the [Interior] Ministry's National Security Internal Policy was not being implemented and noted that the officers of the ministry appeared more interested in serving the minister than the people of Pakistan.

The report had further stated that the National Action Plan (NAP) was not being implemented and its goals not being prioritized. It further asked the government to take action under the ATA against gatherings held by proscribed organizations.

"Another monumental failure has been the lack in silencing extremist speech, literature, and propaganda”, according to the findings. It had observed that there has been a complete failure in producing and then disseminating a counter narrative. The inquiry commission further observed that the country was created by those who wanted to ameliorate the condition of Muslims of the subcontinent, and to uphold the freedoms of those of every faith.

On Monday, during the course of hearing, Justice Dost Muhammad Khan, another member of the bench, questioned whether the government could not construct schools where there were ‘madaris’.

“The court is aware what is happening in the country and what the Customs officials are doing on the borders”, Justice Dost Muhammad Khan said, adding that Iranian oil tankers from Taftan after passing through 100 miles when reach Hyderabad were impounded.

He further observed that 1,700 check-posts had been set up along the Pak-Afghan border but smuggling was going on. Justice Dost Muhammad Khan recalled that Landi Kotal was fenced but when a delegation of lawyers on the direction of court visited Chaman and Torkham borders, they found that people come and go out of country without any check and documents.

“Drugs is oxygen for terrorism. If drug smuggling is controlled then terrorism could be eliminated,” Justice Dost Muhammad remarked. Similarly, Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa observed that the government seemed not interested in implementing the commission’s report, as the National Counter-Terrorism Authority (Nacta) had failed to get the commission’s recommendations implemented.

Attorney General Ashter Ausaf however submitted that Nacta was not federal but the national institution, adding Nacta will implement the commission’s report, adding that all the provinces were connected with the Authority.

The attorney general further contended that finger identification system was introduced on Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa borders. He informed the court that the system was developed for tracing the financial links of terrorists while a plan had also been prepared to monitor traffic in the border areas.

At the outset of hearing, Additional Advocate General Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) told the court that the provincial government had paid Rs500,000 to the family of a lawyer who died in Mardan Judicial Complex incident and Rs200,000 to each injured lawyer.

President District Courts, Mardan said the KP government had paid 2,500,000 to those who had died in the APS bomb blast and the same amount should be paid to the lawyers killed in the district court blast.