Admonishing Balochistan police and health officials, the Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday expressed severe displeasure on the lack of progress made on recommendations made in the Quetta Inquiry Commission report.
A three-member bench, headed by Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, was hearing a case pertaining to the deadly suicide bombing in Quetta on August 8 last year, which had claimed 76 lives, including 57 lawyers.
The report of the Justice Qazi Faez Isa-led inquiry commission into the carnage had touched upon the callous disregard for human life shown by doctors and paramedical staff which responded to the incident.
The commission had regretted that the absence of doctors and other staff of the Sandeman Provincial Hospital, where the suicide bomber had struck, contributed to the severity of the incident, with some victims undoubtedly dying after not receiving timely treatment.
In its 110-page report, the one-man commission cited testimonies by lawyers to establish that apart from one notable exception, doctors and other staff of the hospital did not render medical or any other assistance to those lying wounded at the blast site. Since the blast occurred inside the hospital’s premises, the absence of doctors and others is inexplicable, it noted.
Read more about the report's damning indictment of government inaction here.
Ordering the provincial government to ensure active operations in Quetta's trauma centres and the up-gradation of Sandeman hospital, the Supreme Court has sought additional reports on the progress made on the inquiry commission's recommendations from the police, health department and the provincial government.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Aitzaz Goraya also informed the court that five terrorists involved in the incident have been killed, one is under arrest, while search for two fugitives is ongoing.
The court has adjourned the hearing till September 12, asking the relevant departments to deliver on promises made after the tragedy.
Key recommendations of the commission's report
• The National Action Plan should be made into a proper plan, with clear goals, a comprehensive monitoring mechanism, and periodic reviewing.
• Nacta (National Counter Terrorism Authority) must be activated. It must do what the Nacta Act mandates.
• The public space needs to be reclaimed to counteract the virulent propaganda of the terrorists. The laws and Constitution need to be reestablished and the state must re-exert itself.
• The Anti-Terrorism Act needs to be enforced, and terrorists/terrorist organisations must be proscribed without delay.
• The federal and Balochistan governments must develop and maintain a databank with information or perpetrators/suspects of heinous crimes and terrorists organisations.
• Forensic laboratories should be not under the jurisdiction of the police, but of scientists. The results/tests should be uploaded in a central databank and easily accessed from any province.
• All crime scenes should be professionally secured, forensically examined and extensively photographed as soon as possible.
• Protocols or standard operating procedures should be developed with the help of experts.
• The shortcomings of the hospital, government of Balochistan and police need to be addressed and removed.
• All educational institutions, including madaris, need to be registered.
• Entry into and departure from Pakistan needs to be properly monitored; all persons must have the requisite documentation.
• The customs authorities should ensure that contraband is not brought into the country.
• If the media broadcasts and propagates the views of terrorists, then those doing so must be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
• The amount of compensation for the legal heirs of the deceased and for the injured should be expeditiously distributed.
