SUNDAY TIMES ISLAMABAD:
A bench of the high court comprising Justice Aamir Farooq was hearing a petition filed by the mother of Mansoor Janjua, co-pilot of the ill-fated flight, seeking a judicial probe into the incident.
The PIA plane (PK-661) with 48 people, including noted figure Junaid Jamshed, his wife and Deputy Commissioner Chitral Osama Warraich, on board had crashed in Saddha Batolni village near Havelian.
The petitioner’s lawyer complained that the PIA flight crashed en route to Islamabad from Chitral on December 7, 2016, but no commission was formed to determine the reason behind the incident.
Justice Aamir Farooq asked if a probe was conducted or what conclusion was reached by investigators.
A CAA lawyer informed that the federal government had ordered a probe into the incident. The probe has been completed but its report awaits signature of the relevant authority, he added.
“Should I wait until my retirement then you will present the report,” he remarked while expressing displeasure over the counsel. Unfortunately, no one cares about precious lives in Pakistan, he lamented.
He said it has been two years since the incident but the inquiry committee has not reached any conclusion yet.
The CAA lawyer requested the judge to provide more time for submission of the report.
Justice Farooq said the government should have issued directives for swift investigation into the incident. There is a tradition of hiding everything in the country, he remarked.
The hearing was adjourned till February 7.