Dawn Online

Pakistan’s Supreme Court yesterday grilled Prime Minister Imran Khan over the government’s inaction against those responsible for the Army Public School (APS) attack in 2014 and the ongoing talks with the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

A three-judge bench — headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Gulzar Ahmed, and comprising Justice Qazi Mohammad Amin Ahmed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan — summoned the Prime Minister in connection with the case around 10:00am. He arrived at the court roughly two hours later, just before noon.

A total of 147 people, 132 of them children, were martyred when TTP militants stormed the APS-Warsak School, in Peshawar, in 2014. The government is in talks with the TTP over a “reconciliation process”, with Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry having announced on Monday that a “complete ceasefire” had been reached with the banned outfit.

During the hearing, Justice Amin reminded the premier that Pakistan is not a small country. “We have the sixth largest army in the world,” he said.

With regards to media reports regarding negotiations with the TTP, Justice Amin questioned whether “we are bringing them [TTP] back to the negotiating table instead of taking action against them?”

“Are we going to surrender once again?” Justice Amin asked the premier.

As the three-member bench continued to grill the premier, at one point the latter asked for a chance to speak, given that he had been summoned for the hearing.

But the judges continued to fire questions at him.

CJP Gulzar said, “You are in power. The government is also yours. What did you do? You brought those guilty to the negotiating table.”

“The satisfaction of the parents [who lost their children in the APS attack] is necessary,” said Justice Ahsan addressing the premier.

A day earlier, the information minister said that the government will give a chance to those factions of the TTP that are not directly involved in terrorism and are ready to honour Pakistan’s Constitution and law, whereas the hardcore TTP terrorists involved in the killing of innocent people and still wanting to continue their nefarious activities will be dealt with an iron hand.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the federal cabinet presided over by Prime Minister Imran on Tuesday.

Speaking at a press conference, Chaudhry said: “If all of them express their allegiance to the Constitution of Pakistan and undertake to respect the law of the country, obviously, we will give them a chance.”