SC orders formation of judicial commission to investigate APS attack

–Commission will submit its report to apex court within six weeks

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday ordered the formation of a judicial commission to launch an investigation into the 2014 Army Public School (APS) attack.

A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar issued these directives while hearing the suo motu case of the APS attack.

In the deadliest terror attack in the country’s history, 131 schoolchildren and 10 other people were killed when heavily armed terrorists stormed the school building on Dec 16, 2014.

The incident shook the country and resulted in the formation of a National Action Plan to stem extremism and terrorism from the country, as well as the creation of military courts to try ‘hardcore’ terrorists.

The chief justice had taken the suo motu notice of the matter on April 19 when parents of the martyred children requested him to order a judicial inquiry into the carnage while he was on a visit to the Supreme Court’s Peshawar registry.

The parents had complained that some weeks before the APS carnage, the authorities concerned were alerted by the National Counter Terrorism Authority about a terrorist threat to attack an army-run educational institution, possibly the Peshawar APS. However, they said, no steps were taken to prevent the attack.

Subsequently, the apex court had ordered the formation of a judicial commission on an application submitted by APS Martyrs Forum — led by mothers of the victims. The application requested the court to put pressure on the government to punish those involved in the attack and those who failed to protect the children.

The parents said they had been demanding justice for over three years now and had been putting forward their request for a judicial inquiry at different forums, but to no avail.

During the Friday’s proceedings, the bench directed that the commission will be headed by a senior judge of the high court and will submit its report to the top court within six weeks.

Further, the chief justice ordered that the commission along with investigating the attack, should meet the victims’ relatives and address their concerns.

Addressing the mothers of the victims present in the courtroom, Justice Nisar said: “I want to ask you for forgiveness. I had given a verbal order earlier but could not issue a final one as the Peshawar Registry bench hearing the case had been dissolved.”