Track record

Investigations into the deadly suicide attacks in Quetta need to be undertaken professionally

Track record

In his first briefing on the Quetta Police Training Centre (PTC) attack, top official of Frontier Corps Balochistan, Maj Gen Sher Afgan, disclosed that the attackers acted on directions from Afghanistan and initial investigation suggested that the terrorists were affiliated with Lashkar-e-Jhangvi Al Almi.

"We came to know from the communication intercepts that there were three bombers who were getting instructions from Afghanistan," he says. "We have busted many gangs who were directly or indirectly involved in the terrorist acts," adds the official.

The routine exercise of investigations involves preserving the site of the incident, collecting necessary evidences and lodging an FIR. The investigation officer also records statements of the injured/witnesses. The CCTV footage, too, plays an important role.

The project of installing CCTV cameras in Quetta is still pending for more than a decade. "The law directs the investigation officers to conduct their search on the spot and get maximum witnesses," says Ali Ahmed Kurd, senior lawyer.

There are many problems that the law enforcement agencies face. They are not given protective gear. A couple of months ago, a police ASI, Punhal Khan, lost his life while defusing three bombs in Naseerabad district. "The ASI lost his life because we don’t have the protective belt or jacket," says another official of police from Naseerabad.

Security experts are of the view that there is dire need to improve the capability of the police and other law enforcement agencies. "We are working on improving the capability of the police by providing them modern weapons and training so that they could maintain law and order and foil  nefarious designs of terrorists," says, Ahsan Mehboob, IG Police Balochistan, while talking to TNS.

The inquiry commission appears to be unsatisfied with the performance of the provincial government. "It appears that the government is not serious in conducting inquiry into the tragedy which happened on August 8," remarked the judge of the inquiry commission.

The inquiry of the August 8 Civil Hospital tragedy has not been completed yet despite the passage of around three months. An Inquiry commission, however, has been formed on the directives of Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali during the hearing of suo motu case on the attack.

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Justice Qazi Faez Isa, also hailing from Balochistan province, is carrying out proceedings on the tragic incident that had claimed lives of 76 people. It has been established that majority of the lawyers succumbed to their injuries because of delay in timely firstaid/treatment at the civil hospital.

The inquiry commission appears to be unsatisfied with the performance of the provincial government with regard to medical services and security in the civil hospital.

"It appears that the government is not serious in conducting inquiry into the tragedy on August 8," remarked the honourable Judge of the inquiry commission during the proceedings on one occasion. The inquiry commission has also expressed dissatisfaction over the investigation reports submitted by the police and FC.

Track record