Found dead: PHC drills government over dumped bodies
Final warning issued to the federal and provincial government for negligence over growing incidents of dumped bodies.
PESHAWAR:
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday issued a final warning to the federal and provincial governments for their lack of interest in the growing incidents of dumped bodies.
A division bench comprising PHC chief justice (CJ) Dost Muhammad Khan and Irshad Qaiser gave their remarks during the hearing.
“If the provincial and federal governments fail to protect the lives of citizens, they have no right to run state affairs in the prevailing gloomy circumstances,” the CJ said, addressing the home department’s special secretary, Syed Alamgir Khan.
The capital city police officer, Imtiaz Altaf, informed the court that 25 bodies, including one of a woman, were found and senior officials were investigating the matter. He said that one of the dead was killed over personal dispute. He was kidnapped in Lahore and his body was found in Peshawar.
The CJ told Altaf that three officers of his department, including two from Nowshera and one from Peshawar, were also involved in the case.
The CJ said he was amazed that despite installing CCTV cameras in various areas, the officials were clueless in figuring out how these bodies were being dumped and transported.
He also expressed his concerns to the attorney general, Khalid Khan, regarding the police recruiting new personnel on the basis of political affiliations. “How is it that an SHO, SSP and police official don’t know the criminals involved in different heinous crimes in their jurisdictions?” he said.
The bench had issued notices to the attorney general of Pakistan, Irfan Qadir, to appear before the court. Qadir, however, did not show up.
“After the passage of the 18th amendment, the law and order affairs come under the domain of provinces and the provincial government has failed to redeem the situation,” the CJ said.
Officials have not acted according to a detailed court order issued on September 16, he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 13th, 2012.
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday issued a final warning to the federal and provincial governments for their lack of interest in the growing incidents of dumped bodies.
A division bench comprising PHC chief justice (CJ) Dost Muhammad Khan and Irshad Qaiser gave their remarks during the hearing.
“If the provincial and federal governments fail to protect the lives of citizens, they have no right to run state affairs in the prevailing gloomy circumstances,” the CJ said, addressing the home department’s special secretary, Syed Alamgir Khan.
The capital city police officer, Imtiaz Altaf, informed the court that 25 bodies, including one of a woman, were found and senior officials were investigating the matter. He said that one of the dead was killed over personal dispute. He was kidnapped in Lahore and his body was found in Peshawar.
The CJ told Altaf that three officers of his department, including two from Nowshera and one from Peshawar, were also involved in the case.
The CJ said he was amazed that despite installing CCTV cameras in various areas, the officials were clueless in figuring out how these bodies were being dumped and transported.
He also expressed his concerns to the attorney general, Khalid Khan, regarding the police recruiting new personnel on the basis of political affiliations. “How is it that an SHO, SSP and police official don’t know the criminals involved in different heinous crimes in their jurisdictions?” he said.
The bench had issued notices to the attorney general of Pakistan, Irfan Qadir, to appear before the court. Qadir, however, did not show up.
“After the passage of the 18th amendment, the law and order affairs come under the domain of provinces and the provincial government has failed to redeem the situation,” the CJ said.
Officials have not acted according to a detailed court order issued on September 16, he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 13th, 2012.