Govt report on Karachi violence lacks facts: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Monday expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s report on Karachi violence, saying the report lacked facts that are needed to make headway in the case.
The report was submitted by Attorney General Anwarul Haq during the suo motu hearing of the unrest in Karachi.
The five-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry ordered the Attorney General to file a new report, carrying the latest information about those who are creating unrest in Karachi.
A report without analysis
The five-member bench hearing the Karachi violence suo motu case said it was “unhappy” with the report. It said apart from the first three pages of the report, it was “all newspaper reports and no analysis”.
The court directed Inspector General of Sindh Wajid Ali Durrani to present a comprehensive report on the Karachi killings. The chief justice and bench of members asked Durrani questions that he failed to answer. The court sought the names of police officers who were killed in the line of duty and also those of the arrested target killers. However, Durrani failed to answer these questions.
The AG submitted the report compiled by the Special Branch, FIA, and Intelligence Bureau. The Intelligence Bureau requested the court to keep its report classified.
The court said a decision to keep the report classified will be taken after it has been reviewed. It also remarked that since most of the report is based on newspaper reports, keeping it confidential is not important.
The court also directed the AG to file reports from the ISI and MI.
‘Some Karachi areas are no go zones’
Durrani admitted before the Supreme Court that law-enforcement agencies cannot enter some violence-hit areas of Karachi.
The IG also told the court that ethnic and sectarian tensions are the main reasons for the unrest in Karachi.
He said that extortionists and land grabbers are also adding fuel to the violence in the city.
Durrani said there are several ethnic groups in more than 100 areas of Karachi.
He said 306 people have been killed in Karachi between July 24 and August 24 this year.
He said 232 cases have been registered in 75 police stations during one month. The IG said that despite the ongoing carnage, the situation is within the control of law-enforcement agencies.
Too much security for VIPs
The chief justice told Durrani that Karachi is “in a terrible situation” and that “the city will be out of his hands” if he does not curb the violence immediately.
To this, Durrani responded that he needs one more month to improve security in the city.
The chief justice asked Durrani to give him the number of police officials in Karachi and also the number of police officials designated to VVIPs.
Durrani responded that out of 32,000 police officials, only 20,000 are operational. He said that 12,000 are non-operational out of which 4,000 are protecting SIU and CPO officials and 8,000 are on VVIP duties.
When the chief justice asked him to explain why the VIPs required so much security, the IG expressed ignorance on the matter. He added, however, that the VIPs claim their life is under threat and that they need security.
Senator Babar Awan was present during the court proceedings. Senior PPP leader Raj Haider was also present, but was not summoned by the court.
Sindh government's counsel Abdul Hafeez Pirzada is defending the police and answered all the questions that the IG failed to answer.
The hearing with resume tomorrow (Tuesday), where Durrani will be expected to bring out names and comply with the court's requests.
Updated from print edition (below)
SC to hear case on Karachi violence today
A five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will begin hearing the suo motu case on Karachi violence in the metropolis on Monday (today).
Federal and Sindh governments will present a comprehensive report based on input from security agencies before the bench comprising Justice Shakirullah Jan, Justice Nasirul Mulk, Justice Tariq Pervez and Justice Ghulam Rabbani.
The Supreme Court had earlier rejected a report presented by the advocate general Sindh for its failure to identify the groups involved in target killings, abduction and extortion in Karachi.
In view of the sensitivity of the case, heightened security arrangements have been made, involving deployment of 600 police and Rangers personnel at the Supreme Court’s branch registry in Karachi.
According to a statement issued by the Karachi registry, foolproof security arrangements have been ensured on the day of the hearing on Monday and entry into courtroom No 1 will be regulated by passes. Senior Superintendent of Police, South Zone, Naeem Sheikh said police and Rangers have set up check posts on roads leading to the Karachi registry, Shaheen Complex, Polo Ground, Khajoor Chowk and II Chundrigar Road to search people heading towards the court. Suspicious persons will not be allowed to proceed on their way without thorough investigation.
Trained commandos have also been deployed along with additional personnel from police headquarters. Sheikh said he would be present in the court premises at seven in the morning to check police personnel’s performance.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 29th, 2011.
COMMENTS (19)
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If the statements given by Mr. Zulfiqar Mirza is considered true, than it clearly means that it is America who is behind all this dirty game and than the relation of Pakistan and America must be debated in Parliament. I would also request that a Sou Motu action must be taken on thousands of cases pending in different court for a long long period so that the deprived could get justice. The slow judiciary process is no doubt one of the cause of increase in crimes as culpirit believe no decision from courts. Had it ever happened that in the history of Pakistan that any bigwig or politician has been fixed up and punished ?
Somebody should have asked Mr Mirza who was carrying Quran to speak about his Liyari association and the truth would come out if he has respect for the holy book.
Pretty clear the govt is sending a message to the Supreme Court --- "none of your business" -- and the govt maybe right. The onus is ultimately on the voters who put these people into office.
There is lot of hope and expectations of a common citizen of Karachi on these Honourable Supreme Court of Pakistan hearings.
I humbly suggest that Mr Zulfiqar Mirza should be summoned by the Court and asked to submit all evidence for consideration according to law.
Thanks to Karachi issue, CJ can stay in the news. It gets boring when there is no incident to take Sumoto on.
Zulfiqar Mirza Should be the governor of Sind
This issue is an adminstrative issue. The judiciary which moves extremely slowly can only direct the government adminstration to do the needful. So it will go back to the adminstration to take action and we will be back to square one when they fail in doing so. This is a failure of the government and should be seen as such and if the government wishes to do things by half measures then we the people must bear it and suffer.
Thr is a famous saying "Iss hamaam mai sub nangai hain" that is the situation with all political parties. they are all engaged and responsible for the Khi situation.
@Khawaja Faraz @ Izhar ul Haq: They should call Zardari, Rehman Malik, COAS, DG ISI as ZM says they knew of the facts. If they knew of the facts and didnt do anything then along with Altaf Hussain all these people should also be tried. It is not about Altaf hussain alone if you want to talk of conspiracy then all of these people were also involved.
@Izhar ul Haq: Izhar bhai..we have to understand that what Mirza outbursted was half truth.....he spare the attrocities by his accosiates in Liyari.... i personally praised Mirza for what he said or disclosed but big question to him why he is trying to hide what PPP associates doing in Liyari?
Most of the reader/commentators here on ET seems anti-MQM.... they quickly focus and always seem charged up to comment anything against MQM...or it would be better to say that they just wait for the moment...
Rationality and unbiasness is lacking a big time... :)
Do not forget May 12 incident please.
Thank God "Fool proof Security arrangement has been made for the SC Hearing"... It was needed for the security of the Judges and others involved in the hearing. Folks have surely not yet forgotten the "SHC hearing of May-12 Carnage" when the Sindh High Court building was threateningly surrounded by thousands of activists of Karachi's "Only Peaceful Representative Party". Salam to Zulfiqar Mirza for forcing the "Karachi Owners" on the back-foot through his yesterday's press conference-cum-tirade. Otherwise, by now, we would have been seeing TV Channels' TICKERs of "Thousands of Peaceful Common People" advancing towards the court building... May Allah bless the Karachiites and bring peace to this (Once) City of Lights. Aameen.
600 personnel - well for once i don't mind so much security being deployed for the very few, as long as this hearing helps do justice with those being killed.
The last thing one would want is the court being targeted by terrorist to disrupt peace.