Law and order case: Sindh, Balochistan top cops reprimanded by SC

Missing persons from Saryab Road appear before court.


Azam Khan April 13, 2012

ISLAMABAD:


The Supreme Court reprimanded the Balochistan and Sindh police chiefs for not following its orders, while hearing the case on the Balochistan law and order situation on Thursday.


The inspector general of the Sindh Police appeared before a three-member bench of the Supreme Court and assured he would follow court order in the future. The court also took exception to the absence of IGP Balochistan. A fuming chief justice told the establishment secretary to arrest and send the IGP Balochistan to jail, after suspending him.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry lamented that none of the authorities are concerned with the deteriorating law and order situation in Balochistan.

The court also asked relevant authorities to register cases against those police officials of Balochistan suspected of handing over ‘missing’ persons to unknown people or for not taking any action against abductions.

The court also dictated its written order in this regard but, on the request of the DIG (Operations) Balochistan, omitted a paragraph which called to register cases against police officials including the IG, two SPs and SHO-Balochistan.

The court gave another chance to police officials to explain their progress. “Tell us why proceedings of criminal negligence should not be initiated against you,” the chief justice said.  The court has also summoned the IGP Balochistan, as well as the SP and SHO on Friday.

The IGP Balochistan was also directed to submit a comprehensive report over separate incidents – one which took place on April 10 on Prince Road, where six people were murdered, another incident near Bolan Medical College where another six people were killed and one on Mir Ahmed Khan Road in which two persons were murdered.

Chief Justice Chaudhry observed that the law and order issue has further deepened in the absence of a local government system in Balochistan.

Three missing person presented

During Thursday’s hearing, three ‘missing’ persons from Saryab Road in Quetta were produced before the Supreme Court. The court termed their custody illegal and ordered their immediate release and directed that they not be arrested without permission again. The three men told the court that they were kept at an unidentified location.

The court also asked the Balochistan advocate general about the remaining four Saryab ‘missing’ persons and pointed out that the police seemed optimistic during the last hearing; yet they could not produce any results today.

The court asked the officials where the missing persons were kept and where they were found. “Give us names, we will summon whatever mighty institution or individual is involved in this crime,” the chief justice stated.

However, not surprisingly, no one dared to name any person or institution.

The court will continue hearing the case on April 30 in Quetta.

Domki family murder case

The court on Thursday also heard the case of the murders of Balochistan MPA Mir Bakhtiar Domki’s wife and daughter in Karachi on February 6. Domki’s wife was also Nawab Akber Bugti’s granddaughter.

The chief justice asked IG Sindh to call back DIG Shabbir Ahmad, who is in the US for a course, to continue investigating the Domki family murder case.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 13th, 2012.

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