PESHAWAR: Pakistan’s top judge has ordered the first official investigation into the country’s deadliest terror attack, a massacre at a school that killed more than 150 people in 2014, authorities said Thursday.
Relatives of the victims — mainly children — have long called for an accounting of the security and intelligence failures that allowed Pakistani Taliban gunmen to storm the school, run by the powerful military, in the northwestern city of Peshawar on December 16 that year.
No government or military official has ever been held to account for the security failings. Criticism of Pakistan’s powerful armed forces, especially their counter-insurgency operations, is largely seen as a red line in the country.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar ordered the formation of a judicial commission to examine the attack during a court hearing in Peshawar Wednesday, Abdul Latif Yousafzai, advocate general of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, told AFP.
The inquiry was set to be completed in two months, he added.
No official explanation of the timing was given. But the announcement comes after the newly formed Pashtun Protection Movement (PTM) civil rights group has made the issue a central demand in recent months, putting renewed pressure on the government.
PTM is set to hold a massive rally in the sprawling port city of Karachi on Sunday, which is home to millions of ethnic Pashtuns and expected to draw thousands of supporters.
Following the announcement, families of the victims cheered the decision, with some moved to tears.
Ajun Khan, who lost his only son in the attack, told AFP he hopes the commission can uncover who was responsible for the negligence that allowed the militants to execute the hours-long bloodbath.
“We want the commission to probe the incident and place a responsibility for the negligence and failure of the state to protect our children,” Khan said.
The investigation comes after a dramatic improvement in security across the country following several successful military offensives targeting extremist strongholds.
The alleged mastermind behind the school attack was killed in a drone strike in 2017, according to the Pakistani Taliban, who have claimed responsibility for it.
The Pakistani state has also said it has hanged at least four men involved in the attack, though the nature of their role has not been made public.
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Pakistan’s top judge orders probe of deadliest terror attack
Pakistan’s top judge orders probe of deadliest terror attack
- Top judge orders the formation of a judicial commission to examine the attack at a school that killed more than 150 people in 2014
- The inquiry was set to be completed in two months, says Abdul Latif Yousafzai, advocate general of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province
Indonesia says 8,000 troops ready for possible peacekeeping mission in Gaza by June
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s military said Sunday that up to 8,000 troops are expected to be ready by the end of June for a potential deployment to Gaza as part of a humanitarian and peace mission, the first firm commitment to a critical element of US President Donald Trump’s postwar reconstruction plan.
The Indonesian National Armed Forces, known as TNI, has finalized its proposed troop structure and a timeline for their movement to Gaza, even as the government has yet to decide when the deployment will take place, army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Donny Pramono said.
“In principle, we are ready to be assigned anywhere,” Pramono told The Associated Press, “Our troops are fully prepared and can be dispatched at short notice once the government gives formal approval.”
Pramono said the military prepared a composite brigade of 8,000 personnel, based on decisions made during a Feb. 12 meeting for the mission.
Under the schedule, troops will undergo health checks and paperwork throughout February, followed by a force readiness review at the end of the month, Pramono said. He also revealed that about 1,000 personnel are expected to be ready to deploy as an advance team by April, followed with the rest by June.
Pramono said that being ready does not mean the troops will depart. The deployment still requires a political decision and depends on international mechanisms, he said.
Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry has repeatedly said any Indonesian role in Gaza will be strictly humanitarian. Indonesia’s contribution would focus on civilian protection, medical services, reconstruction, and its troops would not take part in any combat operations or actions that could lead to direct confrontation with armed groups.
Indonesia would be the first country to formally commit troops to the security mission created under Trump’s Board of Peace initiative for Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has held since Oct. 11 following two years of devastating war.
Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim majority nation, does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel and has long been a strong supporter of a two-state solution. It has been deeply involved in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, including funding a hospital.
Indonesian officials have justified joining the Board of Peace by saying it was necessary to defend Palestinian interests from within, since Israel is included on the board but there is no Palestinian representation.
The Southeast Asian country has experience in peacekeeping operations as one of the top 10 contributors to United Nations missions, including in Lebanon.
The Indonesian National Armed Forces, known as TNI, has finalized its proposed troop structure and a timeline for their movement to Gaza, even as the government has yet to decide when the deployment will take place, army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Donny Pramono said.
“In principle, we are ready to be assigned anywhere,” Pramono told The Associated Press, “Our troops are fully prepared and can be dispatched at short notice once the government gives formal approval.”
Pramono said the military prepared a composite brigade of 8,000 personnel, based on decisions made during a Feb. 12 meeting for the mission.
Under the schedule, troops will undergo health checks and paperwork throughout February, followed by a force readiness review at the end of the month, Pramono said. He also revealed that about 1,000 personnel are expected to be ready to deploy as an advance team by April, followed with the rest by June.
Pramono said that being ready does not mean the troops will depart. The deployment still requires a political decision and depends on international mechanisms, he said.
Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry has repeatedly said any Indonesian role in Gaza will be strictly humanitarian. Indonesia’s contribution would focus on civilian protection, medical services, reconstruction, and its troops would not take part in any combat operations or actions that could lead to direct confrontation with armed groups.
Indonesia would be the first country to formally commit troops to the security mission created under Trump’s Board of Peace initiative for Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has held since Oct. 11 following two years of devastating war.
Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim majority nation, does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel and has long been a strong supporter of a two-state solution. It has been deeply involved in providing humanitarian aid to Gaza, including funding a hospital.
Indonesian officials have justified joining the Board of Peace by saying it was necessary to defend Palestinian interests from within, since Israel is included on the board but there is no Palestinian representation.
The Southeast Asian country has experience in peacekeeping operations as one of the top 10 contributors to United Nations missions, including in Lebanon.
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