QUETTA: Justice Qazi Faez Isa, head of the judicial commission constituted by the Supreme Court to hold an inquiry into the Aug 8 suicide bombing that claimed 76 lives, including 57 lawyers, expressed anger on Friday over failure of the officials concerned to present the Civil Hospital’s attendance register and other required record.

He issued directives to the health department authorities to present during the next hearing complete attendance record of the medical and allied staff of the hospital, the list of all the injured who were given treatment, the standard operating procedures and the job description of the medical superintendent (MS).

Balochistan Chief Secretary Saifullah Chattah, Advocate General Amanullah Kanrani, Health Secretary Noorul Haq Baloch, senior lawyers and police and other officials concerned were present during the hearing.

Justice Isa asked the chief secretary to ensure his presence at every hearing of the commission.

The hospital’s former MS Abdul Rehman Miankhel presented photocopies of the attendance register, on which the judge expressed his displeasure and said he had sought the register and the official did not know how to prepare the required record.

The judge said he was giving enough chance to the official for presenting the record but there was no limit of their incompetence.

The former MS informed the commission in reply to a question that a private agency’s guards were responsible for the security of the hospital and they wore militia-like uniform and cap but had no weapons.

“Except the supervisor of the guards, no other guard possessed a weapon.”

Mr Miankhel said the hospital also had 19 watchmen who did not wear uniform and worked under a supervisor.

He informed the commission that the home secretary had terminated the services of all the 19 guards due to their bad performance and police had taken over the responsibilities of the security of the hospital.

The former MS said he had been suspended on the basis of the report of a fact-finding committee about the incident, constituted on Oct 4.

He said he had extended all possible help and cooperation to the committee and provided all the record it had demanded.

However, he informed the commission that the health department’s director general, who was the chairman of the committee, did not attend its meetings.

He also informed the commission that members of the provincial assembly and political leaders usually made calls for the transfer and change of shift duties of the doctors and other staff.

Senior lawyer Riaz Ahmed said the hospital had been attacked with rockets in the past and there was a threat of more such attacks. But no steps had been taken to avoid such attacks in the hospital, he said.

Justice Isa said all the hospital record pertaining to the treatment and discharge of those injured in the incident should be presented on Tuesday, the next date of the hearing.

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2016