Terrorism a conspiracy to weaken Pakistan: CJP

QUETTA: Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar said on Tuesday that terrorism is a conspiracy to weaken Pakistan and disrupt its peace.

“If we let this conspiracy be successful, we won’t be able to give anything to our future generations,” Justice Nisar said while addressing a condolence reference in Quetta marking a year from the deadly Civil Hospital bombing where more than 70 lawyers were killed.

He said the Quetta blast wasn’t an isolated event, and similar incidents happened in Peshawar and Lahore.

“This war has to be fought, and with patience and strength,” the CJP said. “The entire, institutions, law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies, and even the judiciary has to fight the war and make contributions.” 

Mentioning a child who lost her father in the incident, Justice Nisar said as the Chief Justice of the country he felt ashamed to explain to her why 'the system and country were unable to protect her father.'  

Speaking at the event, he said his colleagues who lost their lives in the incident can never be forgotten. The chief justice also touched upon security issues faced by judges and lawyers.

Talking about the monetary compensation for the victims' families, Justice Nisar said 'money or compensation in terms of money is no compensation at all; it is only a sustenance allowance, which one needs [to survice].' 

In his address, the CJP said terrorism in Pakistan is lesser than it used to be, due to collective effort and sacrifices, with the highest contributions made by Balochistan lawyers who were martyred in the incident. 

‘Security arrangements in courts are still not appropriate,’ Justice Nisar said, adding that he has been in contact with the Ministry of Interior regarding the security of courts to create a comprehensive plan for the protection of lawyers and courts.

“An independent institution is responsible for the security of courts and judges in America and we have been working on developing a similar system in Pakistan since some time,” he said. 

The event was attended by senior judges and lawyers of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association (BHCBA).