Terrorism a conspiracy to weaken Pakistan: CJP

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

“If we let this conspiracy succeed, we won’t be able to give anything to our future generations,” Justice Saqib 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.

The chief justice 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 CJ said. He said the entire institutions, law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies and even the judiciary have to fight the war and make contributions. 

Mentioning a child who lost her father in the incident, Justice Saqib 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. 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 monetary compensation for the victim families, Justice Saqib Nisar said money is no compensation at all and it is only a sustenance allowance which one needs (to survive).

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. He said security arrangements in courts are still not appropriate. He said he has been in contact with the Ministry of Interior regarding security of courts to create a comprehensive plan for the protection of lawyers and courts.

The chief justice said an independent institution is responsible for the security of courts and judges in America. “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.