Karsaz bombings case: Top court to resume hearing after nine years

CJP has formed a five-member larger bench to hear important cases

ISLAMABAD: The top court has formed a five-member larger bench to restart the hearing of the Karsaz twin bombings case. At least 180 people were killed and dozens more were wounded on October 18, 2007, when two explosions ripped through a political rally in Karachi.

The decision was taken by Chief Justice of Pakistan Anwar Zaheer Jamali, who will head the bench himself to decide a number of important pending cases. The other judges on the bench are Justices Mian Saqib Nisar, Ejaz Afzal Khan, Mushir Alam and Manzoor Ahmad Malik.

The Supreme Court bench will resume the hearing on February 8 of the suo motu notice taken by the then chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry more than nine years ago.

The twin bombings had targeted the welcoming rally of then PPP chief and former prime minister Benazir Bhutto on her arrival after spending years in self-exile. She was later assassinated on December 27, 2007, in a similar bombing in Rawalpindi.

The former chief justice had taken notice of the Karsaz attack on October 30, 2007. The first hearing of the case was held on November 1 the same year.

The then Sindh government had also formed a tribunal headed by Justice (retd) Dr Ghous Mohammad to investigate the incident but the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party leaders refused to appear before the tribunal. In April 2008, the PPP government dissolved the tribunal.

Other cases

One of the other important cases the larger bench will take up concerns compromises permissible for terrorism offences.

The judges will decide whether or not a compromise is applicable for the acquittal of people convicted under Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2016.