Three-day deadline: SC orders crackdown on illicit arms, smuggling

SC bench directs all orders to be dispatched to the prime minister, Balochistan governor and chief minister.

QUETTA:

The Supreme Court has given the Frontier Corps (FC) three days to crack down on illegal weapons and smuggled vehicles in Balochistan.

Resuming the hearing of the Balochistan law and order petition at the SC’s Quetta registry on Saturday, the three-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, also directed that all orders passed henceforth by the court be dispatched to the prime minister along with the governor and chief minister of Balochistan.

During proceedings, the bench questioned the defence secretary as to whether security and intelligence agencies could lawfully issue permits for firearms and unregistered vehicles. In response, the latter said a high-level meeting will be called to address the issue, adding that in the meanwhile, the Balochistan police Inspector General (IG) had been asked to arrest all permit holders.

Meanwhile, Quetta CCPO Mir Zubair told the court that the police and Special Branch could not issue transit permits and alleged that the intelligences agencies, including Inter-Services Intelligence and Military Intelligence, were issuing them instead.

Absentees in proceedings

Noting the absence of Kaho Bugti and the FC commandant in Saturday’s proceedings, CJ Chaudry asked FC counsel Raja Irshad where the official and the missing person were.

Irshad replied that the FC commandant had been in Malakand and could not reach proceedings as he was travelling by road. He added that the official’s leave had been cancelled as well following his statement that Kaho Bugti was not in FC custody.

The response from the FC counsel led the CJ to remark that the commandant could be court martialed for disobeying a direct court order. He directed the lawyer present the leave cancellation order before the court.

At this, Irshad maintained he could not represent FC any further. He added that since FC was a federal force, it should be represented by the Attorney General. CJ Chaudhry termed his reply ‘his personal matter’.

Meanwhile, Advocate General Amanullah Kanrani informed the bench that the federal law secretary could not be present in the hearing since he was busy with the Indian delegation in Islamabad. He maintained that the missing persons list will be finalised within days.

Irked by the absences, CJ Chaudhry warned officials to improve their state of affairs, especially in light of the UN delegation imminent visit to Balochistan to review the missing persons situation. He further directed that the names of all 22 agencies active in the province be submitted to the court.

The hearing was adjourned till September 19. All subsequent hearings will be conducted in Islamabad.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 9^th, 2012.