KARACHI, Dec 30: The Sindh government appears to be in two minds about continuing the proceedings of an inquiry tribunal constituted to investigate the Oct 18 blasts following the Dec 27 assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi. The so-called Karsaz blasts killed over 140 participants of her homecoming procession.

The Sindh government appointed a tribunal on Oct 31 “to probe and ascertain the circumstances and causes leading to the twin blasts at the PPP rally near Karsaz; to examine the security arrangements made by the administration and organisers; to find out negligence and lapse on part of law enforcing agencies as well as organisers of the rally; to fix the responsibility against the persons/groups involvement in the incident and to suggest effective measures to be taken with a view to avoid recurrence of such incident in future.”

Well-placed sources in the provincial government told Dawn that it was too early to take a decision on disbanding of the tribunal.

They said that currently maintenance of law and order was uppermost in the government’s mind and it would consider the matter of the Karsaz tribunal later.

They felt that it was pointless to go ahead with the inquiry tribunal after the opposition leader’s assassination.

In any case, the Pakistan People’s Party had rejected the tribunal constituted by the provincial government then headed by chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim.

Analysts fear that the Oct 18 inquiry tribunal may meet the fate of the Nishtar Park blasts inquiry tribunal whose proceedings also came to an end somewhat abruptly.

The sources said that testimonies of various witnesses before the tribunal had already caused considerable embarrassment to the government which would come under added criticism when more security lapses were pointed out during the course of the proceedings.

However, a senior official of the Sindh home department was of the view that the government should not disband the tribunal, adding that its findings would help the government and law-enforcement agencies to formulate effective plans to avoid the reoccurrence such incidents.

He maintained that no decision had so far been taken on the de-notification of the tribunal. But he pointed out that the provincial government had the powers to end the tribunal at any time.

Meanwhile, the registrar of the tribunal, Zahoor Ahmed Hakro, told Dawn that the proceedings had been deferred to Jan 2, 2008 on the directives of tribunal head Justice (retd) Dr Ghaus Mohammad.

The tribunal was due to hold a hearing on Saturday but three-day official mourning over Ms Bhutto’s killing and a sharp breakdown of law and order caused the adjournment.Mr Hakro said that the tribunal would continue its probe with the assigned terms of reference and it was up to the government or the Sindh home department to de-notify the tribunal. “Legally, the tribunal will continue working and on the next date it will record and examine the statements of prosecution witnesses.”

He said that the proceedings of the tribunal were being held in the anti-terrorism courts complex instead of the premises of the Sindh High Court due to security reasons.