Quetta blast probe hobbled by ‘lack of cooperation’

Apex court holds federal, Balcochistan govts equally responsible

ISLAMABAD: Balochistan’s police chief has told the top court that some federal departments, including the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA), are not cooperating with police in investigation of some terror related cases, including the August 8 Quetta atrocity.

On August 8 a suicide bomber attacked a government hospital in Balochistan’s capital, killing 70 people, mostly lawyers and injuring more than 130 others.  The lawyers had gathered in the hospital to receive body of Balochistan Bar Association (BBA) president Bilal Kasi, who was gunned down earlier in the day.



“In certain cases we are not getting cooperation from federal agencies. NADRA is not cooperating in these cases,” Balochistan Inspector General of Police (IGP) Ahsen Mahboob told the Supreme Court of Pakistan three-judge bench, which took up a suo motu case regarding the Quetta incident on Tuesday.

The IGP made this reply when the bench, headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, asked him as to how much time would be required to complete the investigation into the incident. He told the bench – also including Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed and Justice Umar Ata Bandial – that probe into the blast was being carried out through local police and specified agencies.

The bench offered that it might direct the agencies if they were not cooperating. The IGP requested the court to pass an order in this regard. However, the court did not pass the order. Former chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and many prominent lawyers were present in courtroom No 1 to witness the proceedings.

The bench also sought a comprehensive report from Balochistan chief secretary and the IGP over queries of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association (BHCBA). Since August 8, there is a complete boycott of court proceedings in Balochistan.

The court said the report should tell why the lapse took place in providing medical treatment to the injured persons, and why they were shifted to Combined Military Hospital (CMH), where they remained unattended for several hours – a situation that resulted in the death of several injured lawyers.

The top court also directed the provincial health secretary to immediately make trauma centre of the above hospital functional with medical facilities. The court further ruled that security should be provided to the hospital with fully trained police personnel.

During the hearing, the bench observed that the provincial government had been found negligent.



Justice Saeed remarked that it seemed to be a well-thought-out terror plot, adding that the blast was just a tip of the iceberg.  Justice Bandial observed that there was complete failure of administration and government, which, he said, is in hibernation.

“It’s been six weeks but even record of the blood bank has not been collected,” he said, adding that the provincial government did not learn anything from the past despite previous incidents.

Calling the federal government equally responsible, the bench ordered the secretary ministry of interior and attorney general for Pakistan to submit a report of the incident.

Hamid Khan appeared on behalf of Quetta Bar Association and the BHCBA. He informed the court that Bilal Kansi was killed at 9 am on August 8 and it was in the knowledge of the security and law enforcement forces that the lawyers would shift his body to Civil Hospital Quetta.

“However, no security was provided to them despite the fact that there are two check posts of the Frontier Corps (FC) and Rangers in the vicinity,” he said.

Hamid Khan said nobody was checking the people who were entering the hospital on that day. He said Amanullah Kanrani, Balochistan former advocate general, had himself witnessed that the suicide bomber entered the hospital through main gate and was never checked.

He said trauma centre of the Civil Hospital Quetta, was not functional on that day. Despite the fact that prior to August 8 bomb blast, four similar incidents had already taken place.

“Had there been any sincerity, dedication and commitment on the part of the administration, this uncalled for horrific incident could have been controlled.

“But unfortunately instead of attending to the serious disaster, other officials reportedly went to attend the VVIPs to secure their jobs, and to seek blessings and favours from them,” he said.



During the hearing, the lawyers belonging to province of Balochistan requested the CJP to include Justice Qazi Faez Isa in the bench, which will hear the case now on October 4. Justice Isa is the only SC’s judge, who belongs to Balochistan.

The next hearing of case will be conducted in Quetta registry.

NADRA offers every support: Nisar

Responding to the Balchistan IGP’s statement, NADRA on Tuesday said it has been extending complete and all possible cooperation in investigations of Quetta blast on the directive of the Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

“After the Quetta’s blast, NADRA’s team was dispatched to site of incident to collect evidences and during this process NADRA officials were also in constant touch with the police authorities,” said NADRA spokesman.

He said special arrangements were made on behalf of NADRA for the biometric examination of the evidences so that verification of the available evidences could be made without any delay.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2016.