Desk Report
Publish: 11 Nov 2021, 03:36 pm
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan || Photo: Collected
Pakistan's
Supreme Court on Wednesday grilled Prime Minister Imran Khan over the
government's inaction against those responsible for the Army Public School
(APS) attack in 2014 and the ongoing talks with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan
(TTP).
A
three-judge bench — headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed, and
comprising Justice Qazi Mohammad Amin Ahmed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan — summoned
the prime minister in connection with the case around 10 am. He arrived at the
court roughly two hours later, just before noon, reports Dawn.
A
total of 147 people, 132 of them children, were martyred when TTP militants
stormed the APS-Warsak School, in Peshawar, in 2014. The government is in talks
with the TTP over a "reconciliation process", with Information
Minister Fawad Chaudhry having announced on Monday that a "complete
ceasefire" had been reached with the banned outfit.
During
the hearing, Justice Amin reminded the premier that Pakistan is not a small
country. "We have the sixth largest army in the world," he said.
With
regards to media reports regarding negotiations with the TTP, Justice Amin
questioned whether "we are bringing them [TTP] back to the negotiating
table instead of taking action against them?"
"Are
we going to surrender once again?" Justice Amin asked the premier.
As
the three-member bench continued to grill the premier, at one point the latter
asked for a chance to speak, given that he had been summoned for the hearing.
But
the judges continued to fire questions at him.
CJP
Gulzar said, "You are in power. The government is also yours. What did you
do? You brought those guilty to the negotiating table."
"The
satisfaction of the parents [who lost their children in the APS attack] is
necessary," said Justice Ahsan addressing the premier.
A
day earlier, the information minister said that the government will give a
chance to those factions of the TTP that are not directly involved in terrorism
and are ready to honour Pakistan's Constitution and law, whereas the hardcore
TTP terrorists involved in the killing of innocent people and still wanting to
continue their nefarious activities will be dealt with an iron hand.
The
decision was taken at a meeting of the federal cabinet presided over by Prime
Minister Imran on Tuesday.
Speaking
at a post-cabinet meeting press conference, Chaudhry said: "If all of them
or some of them or part of them want to come back and express their allegiance
to the Constitution of Pakistan and undertake to respect the law of the
country, obviously, we will give them a chance."
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