CM Zehri suspends commandant, deputy of training college

Also requests BHC chief justice to name judge for judicial inquiry

QUETTA: In the wake of Monday night’s deadly attack on Quetta’s Police Training College (PTC), the PTC’s commandant and deputy commandant have been suspended for ‘negligence and failure’ to perform their official duty in a responsible manner, causing death and destruction in the college.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sanaullah Zehri on Thursday issued the order following the preliminary investigation of the terror attack in which 62 police cadets were killed and 120 others sustained injuries.



In his order, the chief minister said if any other official is also found responsible for negligence in the subsequent investigation, the Balochistan government will also take action against him.

Those suspended on Thursday include the PTC commandant Captain (retd) Tahir Naveed, deputy commandant SSP Yamin Khan, and DSP Headquarters Mohammad Ajmal.

Meanwhile, the CM also requested the Balochistan High Court (BHC) chief justice to nominate a high court judge for the judicial inquiry of the incident.

“The judicial inquiry commission should investigate the matter and fix responsibility against those responsible for lapse in security or negligence of official duty causing death of score of people,” he said.

On the instructions of the CM, the Balochistan government has appointed Brigadier Bilal Ali as head of the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) probing the attack.



Meanwhile a team of experts arrived in Quetta from Lahore to help in the investigation.

The team also collected information from the people present at the site. Police had sealed the premises where the suicide attacks were carried out. Balochistan’s senior most police officials were also present at the site and helped the team to collect evidence. The team will also interview the eyewitnesses.

On Thursday, the police also registered an FIR against the PTC attack case on the complaint of Khalil Ahmed, the SHO of the local police station. The case is registered for mass murder and attempted murder and includes clauses of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 28^th, 2016.