Karachi unrest case: SC displeased with Sindh government report
SC orders for removal of blockades on roads across city, including those at Bilawal House.
KARACHI:
Advocate General Sindh Abdul Fattah Malik presented the report on implementation of the Supreme Court’s order in the Karachi unrest case, underway at the Karachi Registry, but the larger bench expressed distrust in the Sindh government’s report, Express News reported on Tuesday.
The hearing pertains to a verdict given by the Supreme Court last year after it took suo motu notice of the unrest in Karachi.
The AG Sindh said that Karachi was a huge city where people come from all over the country, including criminals who sneak in. That is why it was hard to control them, he said.
The bench was displeased at the AG’s stance on the matter and asked whose responsibility it was to control this.
Malik admitted that it was the law enforcement agencies’ and government’s responsibility, but blamed a lack of resources for their failure to implement the court’s order.
The judges said that high ranking officials, instead of roaming around with a squad, should let the policemen do their jobs.
Justice Gulzar Ahmed said the IG Sindh should patrol the city four times a day and roam around alone, and asked how citizens would be provided protection if the IG himself roamed around the city with a squad of police out of fear. He said that if the IG was afraid, he should leave his post.
The judges further said that the police are meant for serving the citizens, not officials.
Justice Sarmad Jalal Usmani said that policemen who are part of officials' squads go around the city acting with disorderly conduct. He said that they had tried to damage his car yesterday.
Additional Home Secretary Waseem Ahmed accused courts of letting criminals walk free. He said that they had apprehended more than 8000 people for illegal possession of arms but courts had let most of the go.
Justice Khilji Arif Hussain said that governments do not legislate for punishing criminals.
The court expressed displeasure at blockades set around the city and ordered for them to be removed, including the ones set on the road outside Bilawal House.
When Justice Amir Hani Muslim inquired where the chief secretary was, the court was informed that he was in Islamabad but nobody could say why.
Fattah Malik informed the bench that more than 1,800 people have been killed in the city between January 1 and October 20, but failed to inform of measures taken to curb these killings.
The AG Sindh informed the court of reasons why they were unable to do so, but failed to provide any satisfying answers on the implementation of the court’s order.
The hearing was adjourned till Wednesday (tomorrow).
Advocate General Sindh Abdul Fattah Malik presented the report on implementation of the Supreme Court’s order in the Karachi unrest case, underway at the Karachi Registry, but the larger bench expressed distrust in the Sindh government’s report, Express News reported on Tuesday.
The hearing pertains to a verdict given by the Supreme Court last year after it took suo motu notice of the unrest in Karachi.
The AG Sindh said that Karachi was a huge city where people come from all over the country, including criminals who sneak in. That is why it was hard to control them, he said.
The bench was displeased at the AG’s stance on the matter and asked whose responsibility it was to control this.
Malik admitted that it was the law enforcement agencies’ and government’s responsibility, but blamed a lack of resources for their failure to implement the court’s order.
The judges said that high ranking officials, instead of roaming around with a squad, should let the policemen do their jobs.
Justice Gulzar Ahmed said the IG Sindh should patrol the city four times a day and roam around alone, and asked how citizens would be provided protection if the IG himself roamed around the city with a squad of police out of fear. He said that if the IG was afraid, he should leave his post.
The judges further said that the police are meant for serving the citizens, not officials.
Justice Sarmad Jalal Usmani said that policemen who are part of officials' squads go around the city acting with disorderly conduct. He said that they had tried to damage his car yesterday.
Additional Home Secretary Waseem Ahmed accused courts of letting criminals walk free. He said that they had apprehended more than 8000 people for illegal possession of arms but courts had let most of the go.
Justice Khilji Arif Hussain said that governments do not legislate for punishing criminals.
The court expressed displeasure at blockades set around the city and ordered for them to be removed, including the ones set on the road outside Bilawal House.
When Justice Amir Hani Muslim inquired where the chief secretary was, the court was informed that he was in Islamabad but nobody could say why.
Fattah Malik informed the bench that more than 1,800 people have been killed in the city between January 1 and October 20, but failed to inform of measures taken to curb these killings.
The AG Sindh informed the court of reasons why they were unable to do so, but failed to provide any satisfying answers on the implementation of the court’s order.
The hearing was adjourned till Wednesday (tomorrow).