PESHAWAR: A writ petition seeking the formation of a judicial commission to probe the 2014 Army Public School (APS) attack was disposed off by the Peshawar High Court on Thursday, ruling that it is the mandate of the government to initiate such inquiry.
The verdict was announced by a two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Afsar Shah. Though the petition was rejected, the court told the parents that it will nonetheless send the petitioners’ request to the government.
The petition was filed by APS Martyrs Forum, whose counsel argued that a judicial inquiry was a fundamental right of the APS victims’ parents.
During the hearing, the police submitted its inquiry report before the court which, the court said, should be made public.
On December 16, 2014, a total of 144 innocent people, mostly children, lost their lives when terrorists attacked an Army Public School in Peshawar. The day has become a day of mourning for the entire nation.
The parents of the victims have since formed the APS Martyrs Forum — a group that presses the government to punish school attackers and the officials, who failed to counter the attack.
The forum has time and again called for a judicial inquiry but their requests have so far not been entertained.
