District court attackers: Probe body contradicts police version

Probe body recommends action against police officers for inefficiency.

ISLAMABAD:

A probe body has contradicted the police version on the number of terrorists involved in the attack on Islamabad district courts early last month and recommended registration of cases against the police officials for inefficiency.

The inquiry committee headed by Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) has mentioned four terrorists and recommended that all police officials shall be charged for inefficiency, cowardice through registration of criminal cases as well as departmental actions against them.

In the March 3 terrorist attack 13 people including a judge and a young woman lawyer were killed.

The Islamabad High Court Bar President Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani in his statement submitted to the Supreme Court on Wednesday revealed some facts about the inquiry committee’s report, which has been kept secret.

On the last date of hearing, the apex court had allowed him to go through the report and submit his concise statement.

According to Kiyani, the committee has determined and elaborated nine terms of reference on page 4 of the report and devised the methodology and description of the entire incident in six point references. Whereas the details of activities of terrorists has been explained on the point of Mian Azhar, Wajid Gilani Hall, Quad-i-Azam Block, CDA election chowk, Shaheed-i- Millat Block, Rafaqat Awan and Sikandar Khan courts.

“The report has also divided the insight on the number of assailants/terrorists on the basis of details provided by the witnesses on description of terrorists wherein the conclusion remarks has given the finding of four terrorists who actively participated in the heinous act”, he further says in his statement.

Kiyani said that the commission has put a tremendous effort for the collection, reconciliation of all kind of linkages and important pieces of puzzle for the preparation of a complete picture, it includes the National Forensic Science Agency (NFSA) reports to determine the exact number of assailants, kind of explosives and weapons on the basis of scientific evidence.

It has also provided the details of 44 police officials, who were present on duty that day with weapons and their specific roles including the lapses, negligence, misconduct and non-performance of their statutory duty, wherein all the officials including SSP, IG and administration have admitted their failure.

“The commission has also explained the conduct of police officials with cowardice and non-professionalism with the following remark “no police official who actually meant in the police hierarchy reached at spot”, he further submitted.

Kiyani, however, refused to shift Islamabad district courts from F-8 on temporary basis.

He also suggested that all judges and lawyers should be given training as well as issued weapon licences, adding that Islamabad District Bar Association should be allowed to register case against the officials, who did not perform their duties on March 3.

“The judges of district courts should be sent on rotation to different provinces moreover there are certain judges who have personal animosities which is also a factor that will cause security issues. Therefore, all such judges shall immediately be transferred”, he further submitted.

A three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani rejected the capital lawyers’ recommendations.

The court also observed that they are considering ask the government to form a special force for the judges’ security.

FIA prosecutor murder

Meanwhile, Chaudhry Nisar Ali son of Chaudhry Zulfiqar Ali submitted before the bench that his father, who was a Special Prosecutor for FIA, was killed on May 3, 2013 when he was going to appear before an Anti-Terrorism Court in Benazir Bhutto’s assassination case. He further stated that despite the announcement by the government, his family has not received any compensation.

The court has sought reply from Attorney General for Pakistan regarding the matter and adjourned the hearing until April 15.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 10^th, 2014.