File photo of ex-CJP Saqib Nisar
An unidentified assailant on Wednesday night hurled explosives at former chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Saqib Nisar’s home in Lahore, injuring two policemen deputed as guards at the residence.
According to Punjab Police, initial investigations suggest an unidentified person on a motorcycle flung a ‘cracker’ bomb into the former judge’s residence. The ‘bomb’ landed inside Nisar’s garage, damaging his vehicle and shattering the windows of his home. However, police stressed, the ex-judge and his family members remained safe.
Speaking with media, Nisar’s secretary, Mian Asif, said the former judge had stepped out of the damaged vehicle a few minutes before the attack. “The blast was of severe intensity,” he claimed.
Punjab Inspector General of Police Usman Anwar has sought a detailed report of the incident and directed officials concerned to ensure the injured cops, identified as constables Amir and Khurram, received the best of treatment. Following the attack, police in the provincial capital were also placed on high alert, with the entire area cordoned off and pickets erected on all nearby roads.
Nisar retired as the 25th chief justice of the Supreme Court in January 2019. He was notably a controversial figure for his role in the disqualifications of ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party chief Jahangir Tareen, as well as his establishment of a Dam Fund aimed at gathering sufficient money to build the Diamer-Bhasha and Mohmand Dams.