The SC asked the commission to complete its investigation and submit a report within six weeks.
Islamabad (Pakistan Point News – 5th October, 2018) The Supreme Court has ordered to form a commission to launch an investigation into the Army Public School (APS) attack in Peshawar in 2014.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar heard the suo motu case of the APS attack.
The SC asked the commission to complete its investigation and submit a report within six weeks.
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) chief justice will form the commission that is to be led by a senior judge.
Furthermore, the CJP 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, the CJP 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."
In the deadliest terror attack in the country’s history, 131 schoolchildren and 10 other people were killed when heavily armed militants stormed the school building on Dec 16, 2014.
The CJP 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 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.
