ISLAMABAD (Staff Report) – Chief Justice of Pakistan Anwar Zaheer Jamali Wednesday took suo moto notice of the deadly Quetta blast, which killed over 70 people including over 50 lawyers earlier this month.
The development came after former Chief Justice Iftekhar Muhammad Chaudhry and several organisations of the lawyers wrote separate letters to the Chief Justice urging an in-depth inquiry into the blast.
The Supreme Court will take up the case on September 20. All concerned institutions have been put on notice for the hearing.
At least 74 people died while 122 others were left severely wounded when a powerful blast struck Quetta’s civil hospital on the morning of August 8.
The blast took place at the entry gate of the accidents section of the hospital soon after the dead body of slain lawyer leader Bilal Anwar Kasi was brought to the hospital.
Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction claimed responsibility for the blast.
Immediately after the blast, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali condemned the bomb blast, calling on the federal and provincial governments to leave no stone unturned to bring the culprits to justice.
In a statement issued by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Jamali also “condemned the assassination of Bilal Anwar Kasi, President, Baluchistan High Court Bar Association, Quetta”.
He also stressed on taking effective measures to improve law and order situation in Baluchistan as well as in the rest of the country.
In the last 15 years alone, over 1,400 incidents of targeted killings have taken place in Balochistan, including several major suicide blasts which mainly targeted Hazara community.
In June, as well, University Law College Quetta principal Barrister Amanullah Achakzai was murdered when unidentified assailants targeted him in Quetta’s Spinny Road area. He was on his way to work when attacked.
