F-8 katchery attack: IG issued notice for not bringing suspects to capital

District bar association says police not collecting custody of suspects from K-P police


Our Correspondent January 08, 2016
Armed men had assaulted the court compound in a gun-and-suicide attack killing at least 11 people in March 2014. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD:


A district court on Friday issued notices to inspector general and other high-ups of the Islamabad Police for allegedly not obtaining custody of suspects involved in F-8 katchery attack from the Peshawar police.


Islamabad District Bar had moved the court saying that the suspects were arrested by the counter-terrorism department (CTD) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police in Peshawar about five months ago and that the Islamabad Police had not collected custody of the suspects “despite repeated reminders” by K-P police.

District Sessions Judge Kamran Basharat has sought reply from the IG, senior superintendent of police (SSP) and Margalla police station SHO till Monday.

The bar association through its president, Zahid Mehmood Raja, and general secretary, Asif Irfan, filed the application seeking appropriate directions for the respondents.

Armed men had assaulted the court compound in a gun-and-suicide attack killing at least 11 people, including Additional Sessions Judge Rafaqat Awan, and leaving over two dozen people injured in Islamabad’s sector F-8 in March 2014.

In the application, the applicants through their counsel Sher Afzal Khan said that the CTD in collaboration with the Intelligence Bureau arrested the suspects some five months ago. Khan said that the Islamabad Police chief and the DIG were sent several reminders by the CTD for collection of custody of the suspects. However, Islamabad Police have made no effort to bring the suspects to capital to date, he maintained.

He said the police were avoiding arrest of the suspects which was a criminal act and hence should be prosecuted.

Raja said that the police had mentioned only two attackers in the FIR but a judicial commission later found that total attackers were five to six.

He said the police deliberately did not bring the suspects to the capital where the incident had taken place. “Many of the injured are still living with physical disabilities. It is right of the aggrieved to take the matter to the logical conclusion,” the bar association president said.

The judicial committee constituted to probe the attack had recommended action against senior officers of the capital police and the district administration for their negligence. The committee, headed by Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, had pointed out that the police and district administration committed negligence before, during and after the terrorist attack.

The commission had also recommended shifting the district courts away from the congested F-8 Markaz.

Neither the courts have been shifted to Sector G-10 as recommended nor could the police bring the facilitators of the attack. Meanwhile, the courts continue to function in the middle of a market at F-8 Markaz with seven entry gates and walls that can easily be scaled.

The counsel requested the court to direct the police to get custody of the arrested men from CTD Peshawar. In addition, he also requested the court to order registration of an FIR against the inspector general for criminal negligence and ‘shirking’ of his duty.

The court has issued notices to the police high-up and sought their replies at next hearing, scheduled on Monday.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9th, 2016.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ