ISLAMABAD: Unable to produce missing persons today, the Frontier Corps (FC) sought police powers during the hearing of the Balochistan law and order case and claimed that it had no missing persons in its custody.
The paramilitary force, in a written statement submitted at the court on Tuesday, said it had conducted "internal inquiries" and found the group of missing people "was not held in the custody of FC".
It said in many cases insurgents dressed in FC uniforms committed "high profile acts of terrorism and heinous crimes... thus bringing (a) bad name to this federal organisation".
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, heading a three-judge bench, remarked that he knows that the FC does not want to do anything. Issuing an order to summon the secretary defence and the principal secretary, the chief justice asked them to hand it in written form that they have been unable to produce the missing persons.
The chief justice said he was not satisfied with the FC's reply and directed the paramilitary and civilian officials to appear again before the court on Wednesday.
"There is apparent failure of the executive machinery to control law and order," the CJ said.
He further said that the FC personnel who have been nominated in the case should surrender, and added that the court will announce its verdict soon.
The court had earlier given the FC until July 24 (today) to present eight persons who were allegedly picked up by the paramilitary force from different parts of Balochistan.
The apex court has time and again accused the FC of involvement in the disappearance of a third of all the missing persons in the province, demanding that the paramilitary body produce the missing men before the court.
COMMENTS (17)
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Sec defense n principle sec are not peoples representatives....for gods sake....it took long time to call ex PM in court.....same procedure wil be followed by court....that is protocol, if you judiciary bashers wud care to know...otherwise...I can only sympathize with your intellectual depth.....If FC is so sure that insurgents in FC uniform are involved, why till today they hv not been able to prove that ?
@Dr Imran Ahmed: If this soil could not give birth to a single democratic "LEADER" who could deliver real democratic values and give equal rights to all including Balochistan - i don't think its the fault of the army.
@Dr Imran Ahmed: Well imagine if Pakistan Army had become some Bangladesch or Syria type Army - would it still stand like it is now (wrt. Afghanistan/India) - could it be that it would have already been taken over as we see right now happening in Syria? Im not pro Army but the fact of the matter is that today only those countries stand high whose armed forces have some say in the country. (Don't come me with western countries like US whose ideology is survival of the fittest.)
the men in Boots are untouchables . . . . ???
I hope innocent until proven guilty still applies in Pakistan.. or i guess here its the other way round.. all the people saying dismiss this army officer dismiss IGFC.. how can that happen when the court doesn't have valid proof against the force.. I'm not a lawyer but i know for sure that a few people saying they saw it happen or they saw FC people doesn't count as enough proof to pass a verdict against a force.. i'm sorry to say but if such verdict does come out.. that would be biased and for that matter the judiciary is still biased.. making such a big issue out of these few missing persons while not taking sou moto against all that is happening in sindh and the killing in balochistan... im ashamed as to which lengths our so called leader would go just to get fame and publicity!
Right. Next we will be told it is actually Martians dressed up in FC uniforms that are responsible of the ongoing kidnap, torture, kill and dump operations in Balochistan. Give us a break! It is time the CJ dismissed the IG FC, it would be a brave new step to safeguard Pakisani citizens from these persistent and arrogant lawbreakers.
Only illiterate uneducated labour class people like military rule ..They like real masters no civilised nation will accept military rule it should not accept judicial rule either all over the civilised world people are ruled by their representatives and no one can stop pakistanis from doing the same
Dr Imran Ahmed: Or was it the case that some revolutionary democratic leader was too hungry for power himself?
@Fareed: Maybe it escaped your notice that The Army was responsible for us losing half of Pakistan and by its aggressive paranoid strategies it has turned the entire world against the remnant.
This going in round and round is fooling no one!
I still wait a day when CJ will sack an Army (or for that matter even an FC or Air Force or Navy) chief for not obeying his order like he did for Mr Gilani!
With respect, Untill then, CJ's actions look one sided - just hitting elected representatives - not the un-elected ones in uniforms!
At least SC is doing something regarding the all powerful establishment operating in Balochistan. Rather than criticizing SC day and night, may be it is worth praising them where the credit is due.
Well give FC the police powers and see what they bring up as a change in the province!
@Jibran: Mr Jibran the so called moderates on ET left no stone un turned to criticize Army. What about more than 50 settlers killed in Balochistan in these months alone. Why you liberals are silent on this issue???. Can you only see Pakistan Army to bash. I have met many from Karachi and none of them have good words for Rangers and I am sure all Army and Rangers Bashers will went into hiding once Army and Rangers will move away from their regions. It is good to become a Internet warrior in your cozy homes without understanding the ground realities.
The height of hypocrisy. The SC has dragged the representatives of the people in courts, gallows, torture cells. When it comes to the Army, he gives deadlines after deadlines after deadlines. Now the Mighty CJ is calling the defense secretary and the principal secretary. What for? Again he goes after the civilians. This is shameful.