The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned Prime Minister Imran Khan over the government’s inaction against those responsible for the Army Public School (APS) attack in 2014 and the ongoing talks with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Qazi Mohammad Amin Ahmed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan summoned the prime minister at around 10 am in the matter. After about two hours, he reached the court just before noon.
A total of 147 people, of whom 132 were children, were martyr In 2014, when TTP terrorists stormed the APS-Warsak school in Peshawar. The government is in talks with the TTP.conciliation process“With Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry” announced There was a “complete ceasefire” with the banned outfit on Monday.
During the hearing, Justice Amin reminded the Prime Minister that Pakistan is not a small country. “We have the sixth largest army in the world,” he said.
in relation to the media reports With regard to talks with TTP, Justice Amin questioned whether “we are bringing them”. [TTP] Go back to the negotiating table instead of taking action against them?”
“Are we going to surrender once again?” Justice Amin asked the Prime Minister.
As the three members continued to grill the premiere, at one point the latter asked for a chance to speak, noting that he had been called for a hearing.
But the judge kept questioning him.
CJP Gulzar said, ‘You are in power. The government is also yours. What have you done? You brought the culprits to the negotiating table.”
“Parental Satisfaction” [who lost their children in the APS attack] Necessary,” Justice Ahsan said while addressing the premier.
A day earlier, the Information Minister said that the government will give opportunity to those groups of TTP who are not directly involved in terrorism and are ready to respect the constitution and law of Pakistan, while hardcore TTP terrorists are involved in killing of innocent people. . , And still want to continue with their nefarious antics, they will be dealt with sternly.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the federal cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Imran on Tuesday.
Speaking at the press conference after the cabinet meeting, Chowdhury said: “If all or some or some of them wish to come back and express their allegiance to the Constitution of Pakistan and to respect the law of the land, Oath is given, obviously we will give them a chance.”
The court has directed the government to submit the report
During the hearing today, the bench asked the federal government to hear the side of the parents of the victims and said that action should be taken against whose negligence will be proved.
Attorney General Khalid Javed Khan said it would have been “very easy” to file a case against then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and then Home Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.
The top court directed the government to submit its report within two weeks, but AG Khan requested the court to grant additional time. Accepting the petition, the court has given the government four weeks’ time.
The court asked Prime Minister Imran what action has been taken in this matter.
The premier said the APS attack was “very painful”. “Our party was in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when the attack happened in 2014. We had called a meeting of our party on the night of the tragedy,” he said.
Justice Ahsan then informed the Prime Minister that the parents of the victims wanted action taken against the officials holding high-level positions at the time of the attack.
Later speaking to the media, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that the Supreme Court had given the government four weeks to finalize its report regarding the matter. He said the premier had assured the top court of exposing everyone – “be it the interior minister or people from higher agencies” – found responsible for the APS attack.
He further said that if the apex court sought the presence of then prime minister Nawaz Sharif, “the interior ministry will issue permits and passports within 24 hours for the former prime minister to return to the country.”
Meanwhile, Information Minister Chaudhary said that Prime Minister Imran has once again respected the supremacy of law by appearing in the court. He said the government would finalize its report in four weeks and submit it to the Supreme Court.
“All we could say was that the PML-N was in power at that time and accused the then PM Nawaz Sharif and the former interior minister of failure. But we know that this war goes beyond individuals,” he insisted.
Giving credit to the National Action Plan for peace in the country, the Minister said that Pakistan’s army and security agencies also deserve appreciation for making sacrifices for the defense of the country.
Chowdhury told PTI that the last three years were “the most peaceful years in the history of Pakistan”.
“The civil agencies, the army, the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence) should be commended for implementing the visionary decisions of the political leadership of the country.”
He said that “intelligence failures happen” all over the world, in one such instance, five attackers living in front of the White House in the US went unnoticed.
Court summoned PM
During previous hearingThe Supreme Court bench had on 16 December 2014 directed the Attorney General to inform the court about the steps taken by the government for redressal of grievances of the parents of the children who were martyred in the attack on APS.
He had assured the parents of the victims of the court’s assistance in their efforts to accede to their demands.
“The AG has been given notice on the complaints and asked to take necessary action by law, and if the nominee is found guilty of negligence in the performance of his duties, necessary measures should be taken.” “The order directed by the Chief Justice said.
The court insisted that unless some coercive attempts were made, the petitioners would not be satisfied.
In today’s hearing, the CJI asked AG Khan whether the prime minister had read the court order directing the AG to act on the complaints of the victim’s parents.
The AG informed the court that the order had not been sent to the premier, adding that he would inform PM Imran about it.
“Is this the level of seriousness?” CJP Ahmed asked. “Call the prime minister, we will talk to him ourselves. It can’t work.”
On behalf of the government the AG stated that “we accept all our mistakes”.
related: CJP said, ‘APS will not spare those responsible for the tragedy’
The parents in the last hearing had sought registration of an FIR against the civil and military officials responsible for the security measures in the school.
During today’s proceedings, the AG said, “The FIR could not be registered against the higher officials.”
‘Where does the intellect go?’
“Where’s the Wisdom” [agencies] When it comes to protecting their own citizens, they disappear?” The Chief Justice asked. “Was a case registered against the former army chief and others?”
The Attorney General replied that investigation report Nothing related to the former Army Chief and the former Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was found.
On this CJP Gulzar said, ‘There is such a huge intelligence system in the country. Billions of rupees are spent on this. There is also a claim that we are the best intelligence agency in the world. So much is being spent on intelligence. But the results are zero.”
Justice Ahsan said the institutions “should have known that there would be a response to the campaign in tribal areas”.
“The easiest and most sensitive targets were children,” he said.
Interact with TTP
Justice Amin observed that there were reports The government is in talks with certain groups – an apparent reference to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“Isn’t it the job of the state to find the real culprits?” he questioned.
Chief Justice Ahmed remarked that the court “cannot leave children to die in schools”.
He said that action was taken against the guards and jawans of the school, but the process of accountability should have started from above.
“The higher-ups took the pay and benefits and left.”
Justice Ahsan said “it is not possible that terrorists are not supported from within” and termed the attack a “failure of security”.
judicial commission report
On October 5, 2018, former Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar appointed a judicial commission to investigate the massacre, asking Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmed Seth to nominate a PHC judge to act.
Justice Mohammad Ibrahim Khan of the Peshawar High Court conducted the proceedings and presented the commission’s report, which the Supreme Court ordered to be made public.
The commission, in its 525-page report, said it is regrettable that the APS episode has tarnished the image of the armed forces. This forced the Askari Guards, as well as other guards on duty, to act “inertia in the face of the initial heavy firing by the terrorists”.
The commission’s report included statements from bereaved families, evidence provided by the bureaucracy, police and military. It made special mention of the “delayed response” to the attack, gave details of security and highlighted the complaints shared by the parents of the Shuhada (martyr students).
“If the force had reacted a little more and included terrorists at the start of the attack, the impact of the incident would have been less,” the report said.
It praised the MVT-II and Quick Reaction Force for blunting the progress of terrorists towards a student block through its swift action.
“Our country was at war with an enemy who carried out covert activities and gave up terrorism, which reached its highest level in 2013-14,” the report said. But this does not mean that our “sensitive installations and easy targets can be left as victims of terrorist attacks”, the commission stressed.
The report was submitted to the Supreme Court on July 9, 2020, and in August 2020, the apex court ordered the AG to take directions from the federal government on the report.
In September 2020, the SC ordered the government to make the report public.
More to follow.