ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday appeared before the Supreme Court where he remarked that there are “no sacred cows” in Pakistan and that he firmly believes in the rule of law.
The prime minister also told the court the government will take action on whatever orders are given to it by the court.
The prime minister was summoned by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed in a suo motu case pertaining to the 2014 Army Public School massacre in Peshawar.
On December 16, 2014, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants stormed the school and martyred over 140 people, mostly schoolchildren.
In a plea to the SC, the parents of the children demanded that the top leadership of the country be nominated in the case and a transparent probe be conducted into the incident.
The court had asked Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan to review the situation and take necessary steps — whether it be an investigation or filing cases against those responsible — and inform the court.
At the time of the incident PTI was the ruling provincial government, whereas PML-N was at the Centre.
Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan, part of the bench reviewing the case, said it is important to satisfy the parents who had lost their children to such a barbaric act.
“The parents demand that the leadership of the time be prosecuted,” he said.
In response, the prime minister acknowledged that when the massacre took place, his party was in power in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The prime minister said he had met the parents, who were paralysed with grief, in hospitals.
“We took whatever remedial measures we could at the time,” said the prime minister.
At this, the chief justice told the prime minister that the parents of the victims were not seeking compensation from the government. “The parents are demanding to know where the entire security apparatus was [that day]?” he said.
“Despite our clear orders, nothing was done,” the chief justice observed.
The prime minister told the chief justice that the National Action Plan was formulated after the APS massacre, and that the “war against terrorism was won”.
“There were bomb blasts taking place every single day at the time,” the premier said.
