QUETTA, March 5: A division bench of the Balochistan High Court has directed the federal and Balochistan governments to provide adequate resources to a team of investigators probing the killing of 26 pilgrims who were slain while travelling in a bus on Sept 20, 2011, in Mastung district.

The bench comprising Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan issued the judgment in a suo motu case on Tuesday.

The court directed the authorities to extend all possible assistance to the investigating team to fulfil the legal requirements in the case.

The bench said the case should be investigated thoroughly so that the perpetrators of the heinous crime were traced and brought to book promptly.

The pilgrims travelling in the ill-fated bus were murdered in contravention of law and the Constitution and their fundamental rights to life, liberty, dignity, movement, and religion had been abused, contravened and violated.

The bench also asked the federal and provincial governments to coordinate and develop an effective mechanism, including sharing of information, for monitoring potential terrorists and apprehending the perpetrators of this and other such crimes.

It added that those who were committing murder, advocating murder, indulging in hate speech, spreading hate propaganda, instilling fear in people, forcing by threats or force of arms their views on others were violating the principles of Islam.