Islamabad: Taking notice of a video footage showing execution of civilians by personnel clad in the Pakistan Army uniforms, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Friday ordered setting up a board of inquiry to establish the true identity of the uniformed personnel and the veracity of the video footage.
The board will be headed by a major general, who will be assisted by two/three senior officers with the experience of investigating such incidents. The necessary technical expertise will be made available to the board.
Gen Kayani referred back to his command directive on the issues of human rights and extra judicial killings and stated that such violations of his orders, if true, would not be tolerated. He said that it was not expected of a professional army to engage in excesses against the people whom it was trying to guard against the scourge of terrorism.
Expressing his determination to take strictest possible disciplinary action against the perpetrators, if identified to be soldiers of the Pakistan Army, he termed the incident unacceptable under any circumstances. He emphasised that the Rules of Engagement (ROE) were sacrosanct.
He, however, cautioned against reaching hasty conclusions about the involvement of army soldiers. He pointed out that in order to hide their identities, terrorists had previously been disguising themselves as soldiers during a number of attacks.
(source:dailytimes.com.pk)
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