Untraceable target killing cases to be reopened
Supreme Court bench hears suo motu case of lawyers’ target killings in Sindh
Supreme Court bench hears suo motu case of lawyers’ target killings in Sindh. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE
KARACHI:
The Sindh government has decided to re-open all those murder cases that have been declared untraceable since 2000 for want of evidence, the Supreme Court (SC) Karachi branch was informed on Monday.
A three-member SC bench, headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim and including justices Gulzar Ahmed and Maqbool Baqar, was hearing on Monday the suo motu case on the targeted killings of lawyers in Sindh.
Assets reference case against Zardari reopened in Rawalpindi court
Two months ago, the court had rejected a progress report submitted by the Karachi police chief, AIG Mushtaq Mahar, that closed several murder cases by declaring them as untraceable due to lack of evidence.
The AIG's report was only limited to the targeted killings of the lawyers in the province but had no mention of other cases of targeted killings that had been closed. The Karachi police chief was ordered to present a comprehensive report about the cases dating back to the year 2000.
During Monday's proceedings, Sindh prosecutor-general Shahadat Awan informed the judges that he had spoken to the senior police investigation superintendents of different districts in Karachi about the progress made in the cases which were declared A-class (closed for want of evidence). He requested the court allow him some time to file a complete report on such cases.
All these cases have been reopened, said Awan, adding that a detailed report reflecting progress in the cases will be submitted after a month. The bench directed him to submit these proposed reports after collecting them from the Sindh IG and the Karachi AIG. The court also directed the officers, from whom Awan will collect the reports, to ensure that all the required information is provided to the prosecutor-general. The three judges ordered that, in the future, only the SSP of the relevant districts will appear in court.
Four years on: Reference on Bhutto case reopening undecided
Lawyers' compensation
The home department's focal person, Amanullah Zuberi, informed the same bench that the heirs of 31 of the 53 deceased lawyers have been paid Rs500,000 each in compensation. The bench directed the home secretary to appear today with the cheques of the remaining deceased lawyers.
The secretary was directed to prepare the cheques in the names of the widows. The presidents of the Sindh High Court Bar Association and the Karachi Bar Association were summoned to receive the cheques in court on behalf of the widows.
The apex court ordered the home secretary that in future cases of such unfortunate incidents, the Sindh government will ensure the payments are made to the bereaved family of the advocate within two weeks of the incident, failing which the home secretary will be held personally responsible.
CCTV cameras
The judges recalled that prosecutor-general Awan had previously assured the court that surveillance cameras will be fixed on different roads of Karachi. Such cameras were being installed by two Sindh government departments, including the home department and the Sindh police. The second is the defunct City District Government Karachi (now Karachi Metropolitan Corporation), which is under the local government.
Four arrested MQM workers involved in target killing: Rangers
The bench directed the secretaries of both the departments to place in court the reports on the current status of the project. Besides, they will also pinpoint their monitoring and maintenance system. The apex court also asked them to incorporate as to whether or not there is an NGO or a foreign government that can help install these cameras in the future.
The judges ordered that the reports should be filed within 15 days and be placed before them for their perusal in the chamber.
Meanwhile, assistant advocate-general Adnan Karim was directed to communicate the order to the secretaries and the Sindh IG for their information and compliance. The hearing was adjourned till December 22.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 22nd, 2015.
The Sindh government has decided to re-open all those murder cases that have been declared untraceable since 2000 for want of evidence, the Supreme Court (SC) Karachi branch was informed on Monday.
A three-member SC bench, headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim and including justices Gulzar Ahmed and Maqbool Baqar, was hearing on Monday the suo motu case on the targeted killings of lawyers in Sindh.
Assets reference case against Zardari reopened in Rawalpindi court
Two months ago, the court had rejected a progress report submitted by the Karachi police chief, AIG Mushtaq Mahar, that closed several murder cases by declaring them as untraceable due to lack of evidence.
The AIG's report was only limited to the targeted killings of the lawyers in the province but had no mention of other cases of targeted killings that had been closed. The Karachi police chief was ordered to present a comprehensive report about the cases dating back to the year 2000.
During Monday's proceedings, Sindh prosecutor-general Shahadat Awan informed the judges that he had spoken to the senior police investigation superintendents of different districts in Karachi about the progress made in the cases which were declared A-class (closed for want of evidence). He requested the court allow him some time to file a complete report on such cases.
All these cases have been reopened, said Awan, adding that a detailed report reflecting progress in the cases will be submitted after a month. The bench directed him to submit these proposed reports after collecting them from the Sindh IG and the Karachi AIG. The court also directed the officers, from whom Awan will collect the reports, to ensure that all the required information is provided to the prosecutor-general. The three judges ordered that, in the future, only the SSP of the relevant districts will appear in court.
Four years on: Reference on Bhutto case reopening undecided
Lawyers' compensation
The home department's focal person, Amanullah Zuberi, informed the same bench that the heirs of 31 of the 53 deceased lawyers have been paid Rs500,000 each in compensation. The bench directed the home secretary to appear today with the cheques of the remaining deceased lawyers.
The secretary was directed to prepare the cheques in the names of the widows. The presidents of the Sindh High Court Bar Association and the Karachi Bar Association were summoned to receive the cheques in court on behalf of the widows.
The apex court ordered the home secretary that in future cases of such unfortunate incidents, the Sindh government will ensure the payments are made to the bereaved family of the advocate within two weeks of the incident, failing which the home secretary will be held personally responsible.
CCTV cameras
The judges recalled that prosecutor-general Awan had previously assured the court that surveillance cameras will be fixed on different roads of Karachi. Such cameras were being installed by two Sindh government departments, including the home department and the Sindh police. The second is the defunct City District Government Karachi (now Karachi Metropolitan Corporation), which is under the local government.
Four arrested MQM workers involved in target killing: Rangers
The bench directed the secretaries of both the departments to place in court the reports on the current status of the project. Besides, they will also pinpoint their monitoring and maintenance system. The apex court also asked them to incorporate as to whether or not there is an NGO or a foreign government that can help install these cameras in the future.
The judges ordered that the reports should be filed within 15 days and be placed before them for their perusal in the chamber.
Meanwhile, assistant advocate-general Adnan Karim was directed to communicate the order to the secretaries and the Sindh IG for their information and compliance. The hearing was adjourned till December 22.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 22nd, 2015.