Pakistan

Abbas Town suo motu case: SC forms larger bench

The bench - headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry - will hear case on March 8.

Web Desk March 07, 2013

Residents gather in front of a damaged building after a bomb blast in a residential area in Karachi. PHOTO: REUTERS

KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday constituted a five-member larger bench to hear the Abbas Town suo motu case, Express News reported on Thursday.

Hearings in the case started on Wednesday, March 6, 2013, with Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry kicking off proceedings.

Around 50 people were killed and over 150 sustained injuries in a blast near Shia-dominated residential apartments in Karachi’s Abbas Town on March 3.

The larger bench will comprise Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, Justice Amir Hani Muslim and Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, and will be headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry.

The bench will begin hearing the case on March 8 in Karachi.

Earlier, Sindh Inspector General Fayyaz Leghari was sent packing on the charge of criminal negligence in providing protection to the residents of Abbas Town.