CJ takes suo motu notice of recent Balochistan violence

Published August 10, 2013
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has summoned the AG, advocate general and other concerned officials for August 15 hearing at SC’s Quetta registry. – File Photo
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has summoned the AG, advocate general and other concerned officials for August 15 hearing at SC’s Quetta registry. – File Photo

QUETTA: Pakistan’s top judge on Saturday took a suo motu notice of the recent wave of violence in the troubled Balochistan province, directing the concerned officials to appear before the court on August 15, DawnNews reported.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has summoned the Attorney General, Advocate General Balochistan and other concerned officials to appear before a Supreme Court bench on Thursday.

The bench, headed by the chief justice, will hear the case along with the Balochistan unrest case at the Supreme Court’s Quetta registry.

The notice was taken after at least 60 people lost their lives in separate incidents of violence in less than a week.

On August 6, fourteen people, including security officers and passengers, were killed when rebel separatists attacked two Punjab bound buses in Mach area of Bolan district.

At least 40 people, including members of the police force, were killed and 60 others injured on Thursday when a lone suicide bomber penetrated through a strict security cordon placed around the Police Lines (a residential compound meant for the city police) and blew himself up, causing one of the worst tragedies for the Balochistan police force.

Similarly, at least 10 people were killed and many others injured on Friday in an attack that targeted the Eidul Fitr prayers at a mosque near Quetta’s eastern bypass.

Moreover, at least six suspected militants were killed earlier today during a security forces' operation in Bolan district's Mach area in Balochistan whereas another two were killed in an attack on a Frontier Corps (FC) checkpost in Quetta's Ispilanji area.

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