Katcheri attack: Judicial commission to start hearings today

Constituted a day after the attack, it was restrained from working due to SC suo motu.

ISLAMABAD:

The judicial commission constituted to probe the gun-and-bomb attack on the city district courts will hold its first hearing on Wednesday (today) at a sessions court here.

The commission, headed by Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, was supposed to start the inquiry on March 5. However, the IHC chief justice put its work on hold after the apex court took suo motu notice of the case. On Monday, the commission was allowed to restart work.

Twelve people including a judge were killed in the March 3 attack.

On Tuesday, the commission held a meeting and decided to start proceedings the next day, said Imran Sikandari, the commission’s focal person.

Sikandari said the chairman of the commission, Justice Siddiqui, will start proceedings at 10am and the media will be allowed to cover them. He said that the IHC registrar will also be a member of the commission.

In the first phase, the commission would record the statements of judicial officers, lawyers, court staff, and citizens who were present during the attack. The commission had already visited the courts soon after the incident

Sikandari said the second phase will see the commission examine the report submitted by the Islamabad chief commissioner, inspector general of the Islamabad Police (IGP), and Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

The apex court had already rejected the IGP report and directed him to submit a fresh report on March 17.  When asked the commission’s focal person was asked about the timeframe given to the commission to complete its work, he said that there is no set timeframe yet, but when the commission completes its findings, a complete report will be submitted to the IHC chief justice. The commission has also requested that the electronic media provide footage of the incident to help further the probe.

Lawyers’ strike continues

Meanwhile, the legal fraternity has decided to continue their strike till March 15. The decision was taken during a general body meeting of Islamabad District Bar Association (IDBA) held on Tuesday. IDBA President Naseer Ahmed Kayani justified the decision by saying lawyers are not satisfied with the security arrangements at the courts. The meeting also passed a resolution demanding that the government suspend Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the Islamabad IGP, and the senior superintendent of police operations. The lawyers were critical of Khan’s statement in the National Assembly that Judge Rafaqat Awan was killed by his own guard.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2014.