Pakistan

Lawlessness: ‘Government’s writ severely challenged in Balochistan’

The Supreme Court gives attorney-general three days to submit detailed report.

Qaiser Zulfiqar February 26, 2011

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has given the Attorney-General a three-day deadline to submit a report on measures taken by the government to improve the law and order situation in Balochistan.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry asked the government to take practical steps to improve law and order. A petition filed by President of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association Hadi Shakeel held the executive responsible for its failure to protect the life, liberty and property of citizens and maintain their dignity in terms of Articles 9, 14 and 24 of the Constitution.

There are more than 5,000 cases of ‘forced disappearances’ in Balochistan. Security agencies, Shakeel said, “have lost the control of the law and order situation (in the province).

The court has directed director-general of the Military Intelligence, Inspector-General Frontier Corps (FC) and heads of other security agencies to submit a detailed response on the law and order situation in Balochistan.

The bench urged the attorney-general to apprise the prime minister about the lawlessness in Balochistan and incorporate his remarks in the court’s record.

“The writ of the government is severely challenged in Balochistan and it is dangerous to travel in the province,” remarked Justice Sahir Ali.

The chief justice observed that the situation appeared to be spinning out of control, which would have dire consequences in the future.

In their reports submitted before the court, the provincial home secretary and the IG Police, Balochistan, expressed their inability to cope with the situation in the province.

Additional Advocate-General Balochistan Azam Khattak said that some elements wanted to destablise the province.

The chief justice remarked that instead of competent officers, ‘blue-eyed’ officials were being appointed in Balochistan.

The petition maintained that targeted killings and kidnapping for ransom in Balochistan routinely appeared in the media, but the government failed to curb the rising trend of violence and crime. A senior lawyer, Habib Jalib was recently murdered in front of his house.

The petition was filed in pursuance of Article 184 (3) of the Constitution which states that the Supreme Court has jurisdiction to entertain cases related to the enforcement of fundamental rights.

Expressing concern over the abduction of three lawyers, the chief justice asked if the provincial government had taken any steps for their recovery.

Khattak said he has not yet received the IG’s report.

The court reissued notices to security agencies, who have so far not submitted para-wise comments. The hearing was later adjourned till March 3.

Shakeel had made the chief secretary and the IGP Balochistan, federal interior ministry and provincial home ministry, Inter Services Intelligence, MI, Intelligence Bureau, inspectors-general of the Frontier Corps and Levies respondents in the petition.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (8)

Bhatti | 13 years ago | Reply Govt is foreign agent they do not want to solve situation

Think | 13 years ago | Reply @hit ali Arabs are fighting for their rights and what they never got. But Baloch are fighting Pakistan, as tipped by CIA/RAW. If baluch want to ask for their rights they should question bugtti's and muri's sardars, who took billions of royalty money but never spent a penny on their people. Never built a single school with that money. So that these people stay ignorant and illiterate and do as they order them to do, like in present scenario. If baluchi people want their rights, get them from sardars, don't be fooled by them yet again. OPEN YOU EYES PLEASE!!!! Suppose, Baluchistan is liberated, what on Earth would it do? It feeds on wheat, rice, vegetables etc of Punjab/Sindh. I am stunned at the thinking of these blind fools. Army must crush this uprising at all cost, there has to be an encounter of anyone who takes Law and Order in his/her hands. Pakistan Zindabad!

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Usman Balcoh | 13 years ago | Reply its entire stupidity to think that peace can be launch here in balochistan. i born and grew up on my land of balochistan, here i know that BLA is doing all the activities of terrorism , to take money from outside . these are the the most stupid people of this land. irony is except imran khan our leaders are silly and thirdclass, in balochistan people are joining therk e insaf speedily. we all balochis have a hope from imran khan to save pakistan. today when pakistan was playing its match with Srilanka, i was watching match on a local hotel in awaraan , and there were hundereds of people gathered to support pakistan. so i wish to have any international match at Quetta,

baloch khan | 13 years ago | Reply there isa leader ship crisis is going on ,those who are known to be the geniune representatives of public are not being approached for negotiation to over come the burning issue,that suffused chaos across the province,where an anarchy situation is giong,if appropriate actions not taken then there will be civil war.

Angry Boy | 13 years ago | Reply This is pathetic.....Where is the leadership.......Now they also depend on supreme court to devise domestic security policies......The supreme court is already engrossed in so many other issues......But i can't blame the petitioners......The PM is too busy appeasing its oppositions parties while Baluchistan continues to bleed.....

google | 13 years ago | Reply Why is our chief justice maintaining silence over the killings of baloch people? every day mutilated bodies of students are found and everyone knows who has the hands in it.

HIT ALI | 13 years ago | Reply Time to pick up your bags and run. The genuine independence struggle of the balochis has been suppressed for too long. With the arab uprisings gathering steam, it would be wise for us to move out of balochistan, else who knows the whole country may be disintegrated; complete balkanistion =( Have we factored in what would happen if the balochis post independence start attacking us. That would be a nightmarish situation. With Afghans in the north, the Balochs in the south, the Indians to the east and the TTP and Pashtoons cant be wished away either. We also cannot forget the uprising in Sindh. As it is karachi is an alien land for most of us. No one knows who will be targeted next. Its in our own benefit that we establish peace with the balochis and hand over their nation. You see its not a good thing to occupy something that doesnt belong to us. Afterall we have to face Allah on the day of judgement. What will we say then. We as a nation have our hands red with the blood of balochis. =(

Billoo Bhaya | 13 years ago | Reply There is an insurgency going on since ZAB sent the troops to Baluchistan. It has never ended since. Doesn't Mi Lord the Chief Justice, who belongs to Baluchistan know it?? Why does he have to make an oxymoron statement?? Has he nothing else on his plate??????????????????????????????????????????????

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