ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) on Wednesday expressed its displeasure over fresh reports submitted key government officials and observed that the government did not effectively discharge its duty to protect lives and properties of people, Dispatch News Desk (DND) reported.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry resumed hearing of the suo moto case pertaining to Saturday’s incident in which a mob enraged over alleged blasphemy set on fire a number of houses belonging to Christians in Lahore’s Badami Bagh area.
During the course of hearing, Advocate General (AG) Ashtar Ausaf Ali turned up and submitted to the court a fresh report on behalf of the Punjab government.
The Chief Justice enquired of details of the incident. At which, SSP Instigation, Babar Bakht told the court that two local groups were involved in the entire incident. One of them wanted patch-up with the accused while the other one politicized the matter by arson attacks.
The SSP said chiefs of both the groups, Tariq Gujjar and Usman Butt, has been nominated in the FIR.
The CJP observed that Badami Bagh incident brought bad name to the country. “This incident could have been prevented had the government taken steps to protect lives and properties of people.”
The AG said accuser and witness of the blasphemy were missing. To which, the CJP said “then what ground the whole story has? Other objectives are achieved in the pretext of such incidents.”
Justice Azmat Saeed asked what role the District Peace Committee and its chief played to prevent the incident.
The SSP told the court that the accused had confessed to being intoxicated and he doesn’t know what he spoke. The SSP said 35 suspects of the violence have been arrested, adding NADRA’s data would be used to round up more accused.
The hearing was further adjourned till March 18.
DND
