Court will not rest until rule of law is restored: CJP

Three missing persons return home safely, to be presented at SC’s Quetta registry.

ISLAMABAD:

The Supreme Court was informed on Wednesday that three missing persons from Balochistan had safely returned home from an unknown agency’s custody.

In it written order the court stated that “We may point out here that this court is prima facie of the view that without identification by the police and Levies Force or any other such like source, it is not possible for any of the agencies, if at all they want, to pick up a person.”

The apex court held the federal and provincial governments responsible for failing to maintain peace in Balochistan and also summoned a report from the Balochistan government over the implementation of orders regarding the law order situation in the province.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhamamd Chaudhry stated that the court would not rest until rule of law was restored in the province. The court ordered that the three missing persons be presented at the Quetta Registry of the Supreme Court on April 30 and demanded Inspector General (IG) Balochistan to inform the court about the particular agency that had picked them up.

The court also expressed concern over the silence of top government officials, particularly the prime minister, chief minister and governor of Balochistan while observing that it hadn’t received any reply from the government officials despite the fact that they were asked to take appropriate steps to control the situation in the province.

The missing persons were recovered following the directives of Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry. They went missing from Killi Ismail area of Quetta on April 3. Chief Justice Chaudhry also inquired as to why there were so many target killings in Balochistan and who would control the situation there.

On April 6, it was brought to the notice of the SC bench functioning in Quetta by one Ms Rukhsana Baloch that her brother Dr Naseer Ahmed and his friends namely Akhtar Langoo and Abdul Hafeez Rodiani are missing since April 3.

Accordingly, the IGP/PPO Balochistan was directed to recover these persons and produce them before the court. The IGP promised for their production in court on April 10 but he failed to do so; however, stringent directions were issued by the court to the IGP as well as the acting SP Operations, Quetta for recovery and production of these persons.

On Monday, the apex court had given the provincial government the final deadline of Tuesday to produce the three ‘missing persons’ pertaining to the case of law and order situation in Balochistan.

Seven men had gone missing from Quetta’s Sariab Road on March 1, but four of the seven persons were produced and brought to the Quetta Registry of the SC on April 6.

The bench ordered the Attorney General and the Advocate General to present a detailed report on the names of victims of target killing incidents during the past two months.

Advocate General Balochistan Amanullah Kanarani was present in court along with Acting SP Operations, Quetta City Muhammad Tariq, who stated that in compliance with the directions of this court, all the three persons have been recovered while their statements have also been recorded.

Advocate General added that the remaining directions issued by the court on April 5 and 6 will also be complied with, adding that time should be given to follow the court’s instructions before the next date of hearing.

“We may reiterate here that it is the duty of the provincial as well as federal government to maintain law and order and to provide security to the life and property of the citizen being subject of the constitution,” the court order stated.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2012.