KARACHI:
After a rhetoric-laden finale to its suo motu hearings into the violence in Karachi, the Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its judgment in the case.
The apex court wrapped up the proceedings in remarkably short order, concluding the case after only 10 days of hearings at the Karachi registry of the Supreme Court. The five-member bench was led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, and also comprised Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Justice Ghulam Rabbani.
The court had begun proceedings after an upsurge of violence that left more than 400 people dead in Karachi in a period of less than two months.
Much of the last day of hearings was spent in a back and forth between the bench and the government’s lawyers, with the former accusing the latter of giving political speeches rather that providing solutions to the problem. The hearing seemed more like a public policy debate rather than a hearing in a courtroom.
The judges, especially Chief Justice Chaudhry, kept asking the government to provide a way forward for curbing the violence and lawlessness in the country’s largest city – the third largest in the world.
(Read: Sorting out Karachi’s troubles)
The bench directed the Sindh Advocate General Abdul Fattah Malik to submit a daily report to Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany on cases relating to crime in the city since July 24.
The apex court also asked its subordinate judges presiding over such cases to deliver verdicts as soon as possible. The Sindh chief secretary was asked to provide assistance to the courts.
The bench requested the head of the Karachi Police to provide certificates signed by the city’s four deputy inspectors general about the measures being undertaken to curb extortion in the country’s financial and commercial capital.
The court also asked for a report on actions taken against the Karachi’s extortion rackets every day.
While the court’s hearings may have wrapped up relatively quickly, provincial government officials in Sindh feel that it seems to have made a difference already. The Sindh attorney general said that conditions in Karachi had improved following the suo motu case. He said that extortion, in particular, had decreased.
(Read: Extortion - Pay up or die!)
Chief Justice Chaudhry also expressed his desire that those responsible for the deaths of policemen during the intense police/military operations in 1992 be brought to justice.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 16th, 2011.
COMMENTS (17)
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@Jameel: I agree with your opinion. This would prove to be "a whole lot of nothing". The CJ has been making political and populist statements each day of the hearing. There is no mystery left in the final decision. In fact it is going to be anticlimax from CJ’s blind supporters, just like Mukhtar Mai’s case! According to some info the CJ is already eyeing for next president’s post and would not go against the establishment and its allied parties. Even Moonis Elahi would be let out in this grand bargain. I hope and pray that this info is wrong but the history of SC is not too bright.
@Bhatti:
Really? How? He has not even issued the judgement yet, let alone punishment for anyone.
Looks like drama is being folded up to go back to Islamabad. Points scored in media, end of story. Onto the next case of popularity contest.
What verdict? The SC especially CJ is making political statements everyday instead of making a decision at the end of hearing. No court in the world makes populist statements during hearings, the listen, examine and write the verdict. Karachi's situation is serious and it should not be made political or exploited for leadership.
Few suggestions for the supreme court to resolve the karachi situation:
1) Any call of strikes should be banned. If a party call or support a strike, government should be asked by law to confiscate and sell the party's assets to pay for the loss caused by their call. It provides immediate insurance for the shopkeepers and transporters.
2) Mandatory transfer to interior Sindh of the SHOs, if the crime rate in their areas remains high for next six months.
3) Ask each party to open a register of complaints which should be open to public. Anyone should be allowed to file a complaign about people who are asking money in the name of that party. Media should keep a close eye on it, it would be a win win for all.
Decision Reserved smile
We have proud on CJP. At least Pakistan has at least one institution that have right supreme leader. May Allah give us Imran Khan as a President of Pakistan too.
does it ends here supreme cour hearing finished??
He knew that before he came to Karachi --- if his purpose was to highlight that the govt is corrupt and incompetent - fine - but everyone knows that and he could have made that speech without going to Karachi. Justice Chaudhry is starting to remind of Malik -- likes the attention -- like making pronouncements -- short on substance.
Good opportunity to bring lasting peace in the city--- SC, Govt and all security agencies must act to reach at logical conclusion thus saving the people from atrocities of criminals elements.
Supreme court Karachi registry is running daily, lot of discussions & discussions for the sake of Justice off-course. In the meantime all suspected got dormit, Target killing is less, Law enforcing agencies are working of their own. The brains working in the supervision of CJ are to deliver yet some Guidelines. There is one more thing , No one is interested in the disclosures of Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza, neither CJ nor any agency nor Mr. Tony Blair.
Very strict and hard measures are needed to curtail militancy in the long run. A verdict is needed which shal once and for all end every form of voilance practiced in Karachi.
The CJ cant be so naive as to trust certificates provided by govt functionaries (read liars) confirming the end of extortion. He needs to take concrete, hard-hitting measures...against which responses by the govt can be visibly gauged. Statements and documents are worthless in this republic of Pakistan...