Ascertaining implementation: SC resumes hearing law and order case today

Apex court’s Karachi registry last heard case in June 2014

KARACHI: A five-member bench of the Supreme Court (SC) will resume on Monday (today) proceedings for implementation of the directives passed in the Karachi law and order suo motu case in 2011.

Chief Justice (CJ) Anwar Zaheer Jamali will head the bench during the week-long hearing at the Karachi registry. Other judges include Justices Amir Hani Muslim, Sheikh Azmat Saeed, Faisal Arab and Khilji Arif Hussain.

The larger bench will ascertain progress that police and Rangers have made during the last 20 months to control targeted killings, terrorism, kidnappings for ransom, extortion and other crimes.

A court official said notices had already been sent to the attorney general, advocate-general, provincial chief secretary, Rangers DG, IGP and prosecutor general intimating them about the hearing.

CJ Jamali will head the bench for three days following which Justice Muslim will take over, according to the roster.

The bench will also examine advances made by authorities with regard to plugging illegal allotments and encroachments on state lands, illegal recovery of arms, issuance of new SIMs, illegal registration of migrants, recovery of Customs duties, and smuggling, among others.

Case history

Then chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhry had initiated suo motu proceedings in August 2011 as the city was mired in severe violence. Wrapping up the proceedings, the bench had passed over 20 orders and directions to control violence.

The apex court had resumed implementation proceedings on November 25, 2012, as the Pakistan Peoples Party-led federal and provincial governments had failed to make any progress on any issue.

Subsequently, regular sessions were held to see the progress on implementation. However, the last session was held on June 24, 2014.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7^th, 2016.