CJP takes notice of terrorist attack on Hazara community

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar Wednesday took notice of terrorist attacks on Hazara community living in Quetta and called reports from authorities within 10 days.

The notice was taken during the course of hearing of other cases, an SC press release issued here said.

The CJP observed, “It has been pointed out by the members of the Bar and it has widely been published in the news media that during the last several years, the Hazara community living in Quetta has been a target of repeated terrorist attacks driven by ethnic and sectarian hatred.

"According to a report by the National Commission for the Human Rights released in March this year, the Hazara community has suffered 509 killings done in Quetta city during the last five years (January 2012 to December 2017)."

During the month of April, 2018 alone, there had been four separate terrorist attacks on Hazara men resulting in the death of six persons, the CJP observed.

He said the right to life was the most sacred human right guaranteed by Article 9 of the Constitution and that right had been violated with impunity by miscreants against the small and dwindling community, which was otherwise peaceful and law abiding.

Taking a suo motu notice, the chief justice issued notices to the Government of Balochistan through its Chief Secretary and Home Secretary, its Inspector General of Police, Frontier Constabulary, the Government of Pakistan through the Interior Secretary and the Secretary Ministry of Defence for filing their reports within 10 days, on measures taken by the respective forces and agencies under their charge to ensure the security of Hazara community in Quetta and also to report causes for their failure to safeguard the lives of the members of the Hazara community.