Hazara Killings: SC summons Home Secretary, CCPO and FC Commandant

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhamamd Chaudhry said Wednesday that it was the responsibility of the police, Levies and FC to ensure strict checking after they had received information pertaining to the Quetta blast from the ISI.

During proceedings of the Hazara killings case, the Home Secretary, FC Commandant and CCPO were summoned to appear before the apex court on Thursday.

A three member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Chaudhry heard the case and was informed by the Deputy Attorney General Shafiq Chandio that Secretary Cabinet Nargis Sethi would brief the court on behalf of the President and Prime Minister. The Chief Justice said if the President and Prime Ministers reply was not received via the Attorney General, the Prime Minister would be called to the court.

Secretary Defence Asif Yasin Malik submitted the ISI report which was read out in court. Director legal of the Ministry of Defence, Commander Shahbaz informed the court that the ISI had provided intelligence regarding the attack, further saying that there was a water shortage in the area where the attack took place and 150 water tankers would cross on a daily basis. He added that terrorists took advantage of this fact and placed the explosives in a water tanker and if all details were checked the blast would have been avoided.

The Chief Justice remarked that there was no coordination between different agencies and the government had 35-40 % of intelligence. If the ISI had informed of a terror act it was the responsibility of the Levies, FC and police to ensure strict checking.

Additional Advocate General Balochistan said information would be received regarding an attack but its location would not be known.

Meanwhile Commander Shahbaz said Lashkar-e-Jhangvi had accepted responsibility of the attack. The Chief Justice inquired who had said this, stating that reasonability had been claimed falsely several times. “Instead of collecting evidence, you are depending on one claim.”

Justice Khilji Arif remarked that there were calls to deploy the army.

Secretary Interior also submitted a report by the IB and it has been requested that this report be kept confidential.