ISLAMABAD: An inquiry into the March 3 attack on the District Courts has showed that the number of terrorists was four to five, including two suicide bombers who blew themselves up.

The inquiry was carried out by Deputy Commissioner Mujahid Sherdil on the direction of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan.

As many as 12 people, including additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) Rafaqat Awan, were killed and about 29 others injured in the incident.

The inquiry report said one of the terrorists sported a light beard and was wearing joggers while the second was wearing sandals. Both were of fair complexion and one of them looked like an Indian. The other two were wearing brown and off-white clothes and looked like Pashtoons.

The police have sent four automatic rifles for forensic analysis - two each used by the terrorists and the police. The inquiry report said 61 bullet empties collected from the spot were fired from five distinct weapons and 12 cartridges were of a unique single weapon that did not match with any of the four weapons. Besides, 32 additional empties were recovered from the spot.

The two rifles belonging to the terrorists were recovered from a considerable distance from each of the sites of the suicide blasts. One of these rifles was in perfect working condition.

“It appears plausible that these rifles were not that of the suicide bombers but belonged to the other terrorists who fled after the second blast,” said the report.

It also stated that an ASP, a DSP and 66 personnel were deployed in shifts on the premises of the courts and 35 police officials were present there at the time of the attack. Three of the police personnel were missing from their places of duty as per their call data record (CDR) while the location of nine others could not be ascertained.

The inquiry also showed that police officials present in the area at the time of the incident along with weapons, including 16 SMGs and six MP-5s, either remained at their duty points or locked themselves inside the grills, ran away and refrained from moving towards the sound of gunfire.

The plea taken by these police officials was that as per SOP they were to secure their duty points in a crisis situation and not to leave under any circumstances. “If these are indeed the SOP of the police, it needs to be revised,” the report added.

The reader of the slain judge Rafaqat Awan in his statement to the judicial inquiry contradicted the claims of the interior minister and the police that the judge had died from bullets accidentally fired by his own gunman.

A few days after the attack on the district courts, the interior minister claimed in the National Assembly that the ADSJ was killed after being hit by bullets accidentally fired by his own gunman. The police also claimed that their investigation had suggested that the gunman was behind the killing of the judge.

In his statement to the inquiry officer, Malik Khalid Noon, the reader of the slain judge, said after the start of the court proceedings at 8:30am they heard the sounds of gunfire outside and the judge moved to his chamber.

On the direction of the judge, the reader said he locked the court and the chamber. The reader along with Naib Qasid Anees Ahmad and constable Babar Hussin, the judge’s gunman, also rushed into the chamber.

“Mr Rafaqat Awan sat behind his desk while Anees took cover in a crouched position in front of the judge’s desk on the side facing the glass door and windows of the chamber.”

According to him, Babar Hussain was standing near the glass window when a loud blast was heard that also shattered the glass of the chamber.

“After a few moments, I heard the footsteps of someone in the courtroom approaching the chamber. I along with another person pushed the door from inside to stop anyone coming in,” the reader told to inquiry officer. However, the attacker broke into the chamber and shot the judge after which the judge fell in the middle of the room. The gunman walked out through the courtroom.

The reader said Babar Hussin’s pistol was loaded but he could not recall if he had fired at the attacker. “The attacker was short in height and carrying a Kalashnikov.”

Naib Qasid Anees Ahmed told the inquiry officer that after hearing the gunfire from outside, the ADSJ was taken into his chamber. He sat under the table while reader Khalid Noon and Babar Hussain were also in the chamber.

The reader was standing near the desk at that time and the ADSJ was sitting on his chair behind the desk and Babar Hussain was near the glass window with his pistol aimed towards it. He heard a loud blast and sound of shattering glass and then the sound of some scuffle at the door between the chamber and the courtroom.

He said he heard shots fired and after that someone saying: “I’ve been shot.” He said when he looked up he saw the ADSJ lying on the floor.