‘Over 1,100 proclaimed offenders roaming free in Karachi’

Supreme Court judge directs police chief Ghulam Hyder Jamali, to bring offenders to book

KARACHI:

The Supreme Court's administrative judge for anti-terrorism courts (ATC), Justice Amir Hani Muslim, directed on Saturday the provincial police chief to immediately arrest nearly 1,100 absconders declared proclaimed offenders by Karachi's ATCs.

He issued these directives while chairing a meeting at the Supreme Court's Karachi Registry to review the performance of ATCs in the province. Sindh IG Ghulam Hyder Jamali was directed to submit a compliance report at the next meeting.

Sources said the judge issued the directives after perusing a report submitted by Sindh Prosecutor General Shahadat Awan regarding the performance of 23 ATCs in the province, including ten in Karachi.



According to the report, as many as 1,104 suspects, wanted in heinous cases such as terrorism, were roaming scot-free in Karachi alone as the police have failed to bring them to book. All these alleged criminals are wanted in cases pending trial in Karachi's ATCs, which have declared them proclaimed offenders, sources quoted from the report.

The meeting was informed that complete particulars of these absconders are available but they continue to elude law-enforcers.

New courts

The home secretary informed that the provincial government has decided to increase the number of ATCs, adding that work on constructing new court buildings will soon be initiated.



Justice Muslim directed the home secretary to ensure that construction of new buildings of ATCs inside the Karachi Central Jail was completed at the earliest. He desired that the buildings should be constructed in such a way that further expansion is feasible if and when required.

Poor investigation

Sources said ATC judges complained that trials are being delayed due to lack of coordination by investigation officers in presenting witnesses and charge-sheets to the courts timely.

Judges blamed the increasing number of pending trials on non-cooperation by investigation officers.

Justice Muslim took serious notice of the issue and directed IGP Jamali to resolve these problems as soon as possible. The province's top cop was ordered to ensure that those responsible should present witnesses and charge-sheets timely in every court.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 13^th, 2015.