Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Expressing dismay over the government’s failure to implement the report of Judicial Commission (JC) on Quetta carnage, the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Monday observed that it seemed as if the Balochistan government was not serious in eradicating terrorism and unrest from the province.

A three-member SC bench, comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Minakhel, observed this while hearing a suo motu case over the Quetta carnage.

During the hearing, Justice Khan maintained that the lawmakers should read the constitution, which stated that providing security and safety to the citizens was the prime responsibility of the state.

He noted that despite directions of the high court in 2012, a forensic lab had not been established yet, which indicated that the government was not serious in eradicating terrorism.

He noted that billion of rupees were being wasted. However, a forensic lab which could be set up in millions was not yet established.

He said if the provincial government would have earmarked Rs 5 million in the budget of every year, the lab would have been working now.

Justice Khosa observed that the apex court was unable to provide a judge for investigation of every incident, adding that a judge could trace the culprits, but police had failed to do so.

He said even the report of the Judicial Commission was not implemented, which was illegal. The court also questioned the role of the advocate general in getting the report implemented. Later, the court directed the government to implement the JC’s report and adjourned the hearing.

On August 8, 2016, reportedly over 70 people, most of them lawyers, were killed and over 112 injured when a powerful explosion ripped through Quetta’s Civil Hospital. The lawyers had gathered at the hospital after a senior lawyer was brought there following a targeted attack, when another bomb blast had occurred.

The SC had constituted a one-man commission headed by Justice Qazi Faez Isa to investigate the incident. The commission, in its final report, criticised the provincial government as well as the Interior Ministry for their role before and after the attack and gave some recommendations.

Published in Daily Times, January 9^th 2018.