At an Armenian government cabinet session today, PM Nikol Pashinyan confessed that he never received a report to see if his order regarding explosives was ever carried out.

Pashinyan, according to a statement released by his office, claimed that after the August 2020 Beirut port blast he instructed government agencies to collect information about explosives being stored in the country. (The statement, in Armenian, can be accessed here.)

 “The information in this regard is now being summarized, but I will also instruct the State Control Service to carry out a specific study and report to me in full on how the instruction I gave in August 2020 was carried out,” Pashinyan is quoted as saying.

Pashinyan also admits that the Fire and Technical Safety Inspection Authority (FTSIA) inspected the market in the spring of 2021 and uncovered scores of violations.

The FTSIA has said that it never checked to see if the violations were fixed because the agency was “overworked.”

One wonders if the FTSIA knows the meaning of prioritizing its work schedule.

Investigative Committee Chair Argishti Kyaramyan said no factual data have been revealed to suggest that Sunday’s fire and explosion at Yerevan’s Surmalu Market were the result of terrorism.

Kyaramyan, responding to questions posed by PM Nikol Pashinyan, said that a preliminary investigation points to “culpable negligence” as the cause.

Pashinyan said he too has ruled out any terrorism connection by watching videos of the blast. 

His reasoning, however, is questionable. Here’s what he said.

“I also understand that it is obvious from the videos that the logic of any terrorist act can be ruled out. Why? Because we see smoke, people running away, and then there's an explosion. At least the visual information we have also almost excludes that factor.”

So, what caused the fire, PM Pashinyan? Did it self-combust? Was it caused by a lit cigarette butt, unintentionally or on purpose?

Please Mr. Pashinyan, let the so-called forensic experts investigate the matter.

You, in the meantime, should follow up to see if any of your other “orders” have been carried out.