SC rejects IG, Chief Commissioner's reports on Islamabad courts attack

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court on Monday, expressing its dissatisfaction on the IG and Chief Commissioner’s reports about the attack on Islamabad district court, ordered for setting up an inquiry committee independent of the influence of the city police here, Geo News reported. SC three-member bench headed by the Chief Justice Tasadduq Hussain Jilani was hearing the F-8 Islamabad district courts attack suo motu case here today. During the hearing, the Reader of the martyred Judge Rafaqar Awan stated that he himself had seen the attacker storming into the chamber and shooting the judge, but the police was pressurizing him not to give this statement. The court expressing its dissatisfaction over the reports of IG and the Chief Commissioner ordered for setting an inquiry committee independent of the influence of Islamabad police. Earlier, Islamabad IG and the Chief Commission had presented their reports—IG report said there were two assailants, who after firing blew up themselves, while the Chief commission report said the assailants were more than two. SC CJ expressing his dissatisfaction on the reports said that both the IG and Chief Commissioner have failed to give the correct number of assailants. The court enquired whether the assailants were pursued after the attack—whether any attempt to cordoned off the attackers was made—whether after the attack the entry and exit roads of Islamabad were blocked? The Chief Justice calling for replies to these questions within two days made an observation that if this was the situation in the federal capital then what would be fate of the remaining cities/towns? Islamabad district courts attack-martyred judge Rafaqat Awan’s Reader Malik Khalid Noon recording his statement in the court said that police wanted him to give the dictated statement that no one from outside came in the courtroom and for that he was forced to sit in the police station for as long as 22 hours, while he himself saw the assailant barging into the courtroom and shooting the judge. However, the brother of the judge Col. Safdar Hussain present in the court said that the Reader was telling lie, no sign of any bullet or rampage was found in the courtroom and added if the assailant had to resort to firing then why besides judge no one else was hit. Advocate Sheikh Ahsanuddin said that Chaudhry Nisar’s statement has overturned the entire matter related to the incident. Chief Justice, therefore, barred the public representative from making any statement so long the inquiry being conducted as it could harm the inquiry. The court directing Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui committee to continue his work ordered the interior secretary also to set up a joint investigation committee headed by DIG level officer, but independent of the influence of Islamabad police and this committee should present its report within two weeks.
Court Attack Case-10 March 2014 by GeoNews