Opposition seeks Nisar's resignation after Quetta massacre report

ISLAMABAD: Opposition leaders in the Senate and National Assembly Friday demanded resignation by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan over a report by the Supreme Court on Quetta Civil Hospital attack that was issued a day ago.

Opposition leaders in both the Houses of the Parliament, Khursheed Shah and Aitzaz Ahsan, moved separate adjournment motions against the interior minister over the Quetta massacre report.

"This is a highly regrettable and condemnable fact that in spite of having spent billions of rupees and laid thousands of lives against terrorism, we failed to achieve satisfactory results due to negligence and poor performance of the interior minister and institutions under his supervision," the motions read.

It was further stated in the motions that if the same performance continues then it is feared that the achievements made by civilian and military institutions in operation Zarb-e-Azb will also be wasted.

The PPP, which leads the opposition in both the Houses of Parliament, said the report by an inquiry commission of Supreme Court has confirmed that the Chaudhry Nisar spreads misinformation and his ministry is confused regarding the war against terror.

It said that if Nisar continues to remain the interior minister, then it would be tantamount to making mockery of the people affected by terrorism, so it is necessary for him to step down.

On Thursday, an inquiry commission under the Supreme Court slammed the federal interior minister, and the Balochistan chief minister and home minister for providing misleading information following a deadly terrorist attack in Quetta which claimed 70 lives and injured as many as 112 people earlier this year.

On August 8, a powerful explosion ripped through Civil Hospital in Quetta when Balochistan Bar Association President Bilal Kasi's body was being brought to the emergency department. Kasi was gunned down in a targeted killing earlier that day.

An inquiry commission, formed by the apex court under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution, issued its detailed report on the incident on Thursday, taking 56 days to finalise the 110-page report and making 18 recommendations.

After thoroughly examining the concerned persons and obtaining responses from relevant ministries, departments and institutions, the Commission criticized the government and state apparatus in its "monumental failure to combat terrorism and perform basic protocols".