ISLAMABAD: A judicial committee constituted to probe the March 3 terrorist attack on the district courts in Islamabad has recommended action against senior officers of the capital police and the district administration for their negligence.
The committee, headed by Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), has submitted its report to the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The committee recommended action against the police and district administration authorities for committing negligence before, during and after the terrorist attack in which 12 people, including an additional district and sessions judge, were killed.
Sources in the Supreme Court said the report pointed out that the 40 police officials deployed in the district courts, the then IGP Sikandar Hayat, SSP operation Dr Rizwan and Deputy Commissioner Mujahid Sherdil did not fulfil their responsibilities.
It may be mentioned that Mr Hayat and Mr Rizwan were removed from their posts on March 26.
The report said the IGP and the SSP operation were directly responsible for providing security in the district courts.
After receiving information about the terrorist attack, instead of communicating the matter to the IGP, the SSP passed on the information to irrelevant persons. And both the police officers arrived at the scene very late, it added.
The report said the job of the deputy commissioner was to supervise the overall security arrangements in the district courts. Being the district magistrate, he was also the overall in-charge of the police force.
Sources claimed that the report recommended action against the deputy commissioner failed to perform his responsibilities as he did not depute a magistrate to the district courts who would order the police to retaliate or would call the Rangers to counter the attackers.
It may be mentioned that after the Jinnah Avenue stand-off in August last year, the Supreme Court had held that the maintenance of peace in the city was the responsibility of the district administration.
Quoting the report, the sources said the committee also ruled out the possibility that it was a targeted attack on a specific judge. It said the six attackers had in fact planned to terrorise the entire judiciary and the lawyers.
The committee held that the attack also showed the failure of the intelligence agencies. It recommended reward for those two officials of the Anti-Terrorism Squad who had challenged the attackers and opened fire on them.
The report recommended certain steps to avoid such attacks on the courts in future.
It said the district courts should immediately be shifted to a safe place and work on the construction of the IHC complex at the Constitution Avenue should be expedited.
IHC Chief Justice Mohammad Anwar Khan Kasi on March 3 had constituted the committee to probe attack. During the investigation, the committee recorded the statements of about 70 witnesses, including police and intelligence officials.
