Nisar submits reply on Quetta commission report

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Saturday submitted his reply in the Supreme Court of Pakistan regarding the report of the Commission formed to investigate the Quetta bomb attack, ARY News reported.

The minister submitted his reply — based on 64 pages — through his lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan.

In his reply, Nisar said that the incident was a national tragedy. He stated that Interior Ministry and Pakistan Army have worked together for eradicating terrorism from the country.

The minister also said that he was not given the full records of the accusations leveled against the ministry. He said that Balochistan Government had only registered a First Information Report (FIR) of the blast.

He claimed that the provincial government did not recommended to the interior ministry to declare Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Majlis-e-Ahraar as “terrorist groups”.

The reply stated that the commission report creates an impression as if the Interior Ministry and state institutions are hesitating to take action against the terrorist outfits.

“The Ministry of Interior’s calling a report from intelligence agencies about declaring the extremist outfits banned is not an illogical step but it is a work method,” Nisar said.

He also mentioned that his ministry had taken immediate action following the Quetta carnage in August last year and started to ban the extremist groups. “Three months were spent in the completion of the ban on these outfits.”

He added that an immediate ban cannot be imposed on the terrorist group but they can only be monitored. “The government cannot impose a ban on the outfits on the demands in media and social media,” the minister said.

The minister stated that Jamaat-ul-Ahraar was not banned following the Lahore church blasts. He said that every country has its own laws and principles.

It should be noted that the commission was formed by the Supreme Court on Oct 6 to investigate the August 8 suicide attack on Quetta’s Civil Hospital in which at least 74 people, mostly lawyers, had lost their lives.

Justice Qazi Faez Isa-led commission in its inquiry report criticized the role of the Ministry of Interior saying that the ministry is working without clear leadership and direction and was unclear over the anti-terrorism drive.

The commission regretted that Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had on Oct 21 met Maulana Mohammad Ahmed Ludhianvi, the head of three banned organisations — Sipah-i-Sahaba Pakistan, Millat-i-Islamia and Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat — to listen to his demands and conceded to them as per the media reports.

The commission report had also recommended immediate ban on the groups who accepted the responsibility of terrorist acts demanding serious steps against them.