Premier approves summaries of inquiry commissions

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday approved the summaries sent by the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs proposing the constitution of inquiry commissions for the Abbottabad Operation and the murder of Journalist Saleem Shahzad.

The Abbottabad Commission shall consist of (a) Justice Javed Iqbal, Senior most Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (President of the Commission); (b) Abbas Khan (Member); (c) Ashraf Jehangir Qazi (Member); and (d) Lt. Gen (R) Nadeem Ahmed (Member).

The Cabinet Secretary shall act as Secretary to the Commission.

The Commission shall (a) Ascertain the full facts regarding the presence of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan; (b) Investigate circumstances and fact regarding the US operation in Abbottabad on 2nd May, 2011; (c) Determine the nature, background and causes of lapses of concerned authorities, if any; and (d) Make consequential recommendations.

The Ministry of Interior shall provide Secretarial support to the Commission.

The Saleem Shahzad Murder Commission shall consist of (a) Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, Judge Supreme Court of Pakistan (President of the Commission); (b) Justice Agha Rafiq Ahmed, Chief Justice, Federal Shariat Court (Member); (c) Inspector General of Police,Punjab (Member); (d) Inspector General of Police, Islamabad (Member); and (e) President, Federal Union of Journalist (Member).

The terms of reference for the Commission are (i) to inquire into the background and circumstances of abduction and subsequent murder of Saleem Shahzad; (ii) to identify the culprits involved in the abduction and subsequent murder of the said journalist; (iii) recommend measures to prevent recurrence of such gruesome incidents against journalists in future; (iv) to probe the matters of conduct which are in derogation of Articles 4, 9, 17, 19 and 19A of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and to investigate in-depth such background facts.

The Secretary Information and Broadcasting shall act as Secretary of the Commission.

The Commission shall submit its report within six weeks and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting shall provide secretarial support to the Commission.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011