Daily Times

LAHORE: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan is likely to challenge the findings of the Quetta Commission Report, a private TV channel revealed on Tuesday.

A source in the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) said that it has finalized “responses” and “arguments” to be presented in the Supreme Court to a report probing the Quetta Civil Hospital carnage.

The source said NACTA’s response to the report had been sent to Nisar. “Hopefully, he will submit the response to the Supreme Court in a day or two,” said a NACTA official. The minister will be represented by his lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan in the court.

Seeking anonymity, a NACTA official said the ministry officials advised Nisar against challenging the report. “But he was adamant on challenging the report and tasked us to prepare strong arguments in response to the allegations levelled against the Interior Ministry and the minister,” the official said.

On Aug 8, 2016, a suicide bomber targeted the emergency services ward at Quetta’s Civil Hospital, killing at least 74 people and leaving scores injured.

A report of a judicial commission, comprising SC Justice Qazi Faez Isa, on the massacre had criticized the minister for meeting the heads of banned outfits.

In a press conference in December 2016, Nisar addressed his critics, saying that though “people were [against him] speaking about the report”, he was adamant to “clear the matter and bring [forward] the other side of the story”. He had also said that he has been “bashed” about his political and personal conduct, and that he would tackle that criticism in the coming days.