SHC puts authorities on notice over swarms of flies in Karachi

Summons response from home secretary over abduction of four persons from Central Jail by Lyari-based gang

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued notices to the provincial government, Karachi mayor and chairpersons of the six district municipal corporations of the city over a petition regarding the swarms of flies in the city.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Agha Faisal, was hearing the plea. The petitioner, Sameer Samoo's counsel argued that swarms of flies had made life in the city unbearable. He said that the flies have multiplied on a large scale as the offal of sacrificial animals hasn't been picked up and there's a risk of a large scale outbreak of diseases. The Sindh government, Karachi mayor and city administration are neither making any arrangements to clean the city nor are they spraying insecticides.

The court issued notices to the parties after hearing the arguments and directed them to submit their replies by next Saturday.

Kidnapping case

In a separate case, the SHC sought an explanation from the home secretary by October 19 about the disappearance of four citizens, including a hawaldar of the Karachi Central Jail, who was allegedly kidnapped by members of the Uzair Baloch gang.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice KK Agha and Justice Khadim Hussain Tunio, was hearing a plea which stated that Hawaldar Amin alias Lala, as well as three persons identified as Ghazi Khan, Sher Afzal Khan and Sheraz,  were kidnapped by members of the Lyari-based gang from the premises of Karachi Central Jail.

The petitioner claimed that Shahid Bakak and Zakir Dada were allegedly involved in the kidnapping incident and were in prison, but the police aren't interrogating them about the crime. Instead, the police take the petitioners to graveyards or other places to look for the victims. The petitioner has demanded that all four missing persons should be recovered or their bodies should be handed over in case they have been killed.

The police and government of Sindh submitted a report to the court, which states that the gang's chief, Uzair Baloch, is in the custody of intelligence agencies, therefore his statement cannot be recorded. The court expressed annoyance with the report. The judges remarked that they had also ordered to interrogate Uzair Baloch regarding the disappearances, questioning why the judicial orders hadn't been complied with.

The counsel representing the Sindh government maintained that Uzair Baloch had been shifted for a military trial and that he wasn't in the custody of the police or the Government of Sindh. At this, the court questioned if the police didn't have the authority to record Uzair Baloch's statement if he was wanted in a case.

According to the police report, Uzair Baloch had confessed to killing the four missing persons after kidnapping them in 2011. Their bodies were later thrown into acid. Quoting Baloch, police said that he had killed the victims to take revenge from Hawaldar Muhammad Amin. Other accused involved in the murder have been killed and the prime accused, Uzair Baloch, is in military custody. His confessional statement and JIT report have been submitted in the court.

The court sought an explanation from the home secretary over the issue by October 19.

Missing persons

The same bench summoned the home secretary to appear in person over the unsatisfactory performance of the police in more than 70 missing persons' cases.

The bench was hearing the pleas pertaining to the recovery of the missing persons. The mother two missing citizens prayed to the court to pass orders for the recovery of her sons, Talha and Hamza, who have been missing for the past six years.

The court declared the police's performance unsatisfactory and summoned the home secretary in person while seeking details of the measures taken for the recovery of the missing persons.

The court questioned what measures were being taken by the government of Sindh. These citizens have been missing for years and the police are busy in paperwork, said the court, adding that stereotypical reports would not work and the citizens must be recovered.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 30^th, 2019.