SHC orders formation of JIT to probe May 12 carnage

Bench also directed to form a judicial tribunal

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday ordered the formation of a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the May 12 carnage in the port city which left several dead in 2007.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice K.K Agha also directed the formation of a judicial tribunal to scrutinise the case.

The verdict announced by the court states the following:

• Sindh government must contact the chief justice of SHC regarding the tribunal.


• The JIT must submit a progress report every 2 weeks


• The case must be reviewed from scratch


• The mastermind in the case must be interrogated


• Tribunal court will also submit a report


• A final decision will be made after reviewing both the JIT and judicial tribunal’s reports

The bench also sought a report from the provincial government over compensating the families of those who lost their lives during the day-long carnage.

On May 12, 2018, the CJP ordered the high court to wrap up the case within 3 months. Iqbal Kazmi had submitted a petition to form a commission for the investigation.

However, the Sindh government opposed the formation of a commission in this regard.

The counsel representing the provincial government argued that a high court’s larger bench termed this case as not qualified enough to be heard as 11 years have passed and there is no need for an investigation now.

According to him, all the affected people had been paid the damages.



Chaos erupted on May 12, 2007, upon former chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry’s arrival in Karachi. He was scheduled to attend an SHC bar ceremony but was stopped at the airport.

In the riots that followed, more than 50 people were killed and over 100 injured when rallies of various political parties and lawyers were attacked.

Former President Pervez Musharraf, founder of MQM, former advisor to the interior ministry and Mayor Karachi Wasim Akhtar were named in the petition which alleged that MQM caused the bloodshed in Karachi at the behest of former president Musharraf.