BHC suspends DC over mortar fire incident
BHC Chief Justice Mir Muhammad Noor Meskanzai says he will provide all kinds of assistance, facilities. PHOTO COURTESY: BALOCHISTAN EXPRESS
Balochistan High Court on Monday ordered to suspend Kech Deputy Commissioner Hussain Jan, Assistant Commissioner Aqeel Ahmed and Deputy Tehsildar Rasool Bakhsh for their negligence in the Hoshab incident.
Last week, two young siblings were killed and one was injured in an alleged mortar fire incident by security forces in Hoshab on October 10. However, the Frontier Corps denied their involvement in the incident.
A two-judge bench headed by BHC Chief Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and comprising Justice Abdul Hameed Baloch heard the case.
During the hearing, the court disposed the petition filed by Advocate Kamran Murtaza against the aforementioned incident.
The court also directed the district administration to provide security to families and heirs of the deceased children.
Further on in the hearing, the two-judge bench also ordered authorities concerned to immediately register a first information report of the Hoshab incident.
The court also told the district administration to provide an ambulance for the burial of children killed in incident.
"All medical expenses of the injured child will be immediately paid by the Balochistan government to the Liaquat National Hospital," the BHC said.
"Inquiry based on incompetence against suspended officers should also be conducted," BHC CJ directed. "Heirs of children killed in Hoshab incident should end sit-in and bury the children.”
Towards the end of the hearing, the court also ordered the Balochistan government to declare the killed children as martyrs.
On the other hand, families of the children martyred in the Hoshab incident have announced to end the ongoing sit-in near the Red Zone in the wake of BHC orders regarding the incident. The families also agreed to bury the martyred children will be buried in New Kahan Cemetery near Quetta.
Addressing a press conference in Quetta, the families said they staged a protest with the bodies of innocent children as they were disappointed with the attitude of the government and Turbat administration.
They alleged that instead of providing them justice, the government and the Kechh administration kept trying to persuade them to bury the bodies after accepting a hefty sum of money.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2021.