Balochistan unrest: SC hails PM’s visit as ‘good omen’

AG apprises the apex court of steps taken by govt to comply with court orders.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday welcomed the premier’s Balochistan trip as a ‘good omen’ for finding a durable resolution to the ongoing unrest in the province.
Attorney General (AG) Irfan Qadir apprised a three-member bench of the apex court of the steps taken by the government to comply with the court orders.
A committee has been constituted after a high-level meeting as was directed by the court, according to him. The meeting, convened in AG’s office, was attended by top bureaucrats of the federal and Balochistan governments.
The committee would examine the role of the Frontier Corps (FC) and would submit its report after five days to the interior ministry. The committee is mandated to find out details of the people abducted, reasons behind their abductions and circumstances.
The report will address basic questions raised by the court during the hearing. The committee comprises senior officials of law-enforcement agencies and was primarily formed to address three contentious issues facing Balochistan: recovery of all missing persons, incidents of kidnapping for ransom and the issue of recovery of mutilated bodies.
The AG also informed the court regarding Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s approach to the unrest in Balochistan. He revealed that to address the political issues of the province, the prime minister has constituted a political committee. Law Minister Farooq H Naek, Senator Raza Rabbani, Chengez Khan, Balochistan Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Riasani and two of his ministers are part of this committee.
The committee is slated to report to the prime minister on its progress on a weekly basis.
Unregistered vehicles
Meanwhile, the court sought a comprehensive report from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) regarding unregistered vehicles and motorbikes in Balochistan.
A three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, served a notice on the FBR chairman and asked how many vehicles and motorbikes were banned in compliance with the court orders.
During Monday’s hearing, no one on behalf of the secretary of Excise and Taxation appeared to brief the court about the details of unregistered vehicles. The court repeated its notice.
The court also accepted application of five cellular companies to become party in the case. They were asked to file their statements before next date of hearing, before adjourning the hearing till June 11.