Nisar challenges Quetta carnage report

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar while slamming the Quetta massacre report on Saturday announced to challenge it at every forum including the Supreme Court and the Parliament.

During a news conference, Nisar called the report one sided as it did not include his stance. The interior minister announced that he would be presenting his stance both in the Supreme Court and Parliament.

"The report also leveled personal allegations against me," Nisar said, adding that he had offered his resignation to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over the report.

He said the prime minister had refused to accept his resignation.

"After being asked to not hold a presser, I made it clear that I will hold it after stepping down from my post," Nisar said, adding his portfolio was not dear to him more than his prestige.

An inquiry commission under the Supreme Court slammed the federal interior minister, 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.

In its findings, the report stated that the Federal Interior Ministry lacks a 'sense of ministerial responsibility'.

"The [Interior] Ministry's National Security Internal Policy is not being implemented. The Officers of the Ministry appear more interested in serving the Minister than the people of Pakistan," said the inquiry report.

"Forensic tools are not being used to aid in tracing the perpetrators of terrorist attacks, and rudimentary methodologies to examine crime scenes, etcetera, have just not been developed or standardised," it stated.

Nisar denies having met ASWJ officials

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said he had held a meeting with a delegation of Difa-e-Pakistan Council, and not members of banned Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ), to discuss the matter of computerised national identity cards (CNICs).

Chaudhry Nisar said it was the jurisdiction of district administration to allow rallies, not his.

In response to question about a meeting of National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) never having taken place, the minister said a meeting of the Nacta executive committee was held in December 2014.

Responding to a query about Board of governor's meeting, he said the question pertains to the PM House.

Answering a question about appointment of special secretary in Ministry of Interior, Nisar said the appointment was in accordance with rules and regulations.

NAP, adjournment motions

Nisar lambasted the critics saying the ones who have not even read the document of National Action Plan are criticising him and others. "No matter how many adjournment motions you bring against me; I will face them all."

"Even those, under whose reign attacks like the one on Marriott Hotel in Islamabad took place, are speaking out today," he said, in an apparent hit at Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

Ayyan Ali's case

Speaking with regard to model Ayyan Ali's case, he said it was not just a matter of allegedly laundering 0.5 million dollars, but a political nexus is also involved in it.

Without naming PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the minister said, "There's a kid, who is made to speak whatever he conceives, which is basically aimed at insulting others".

"I wish someone tell that child that the Panama Papers leaks also contained his mother's name."