No peace in Karachi till law enforcers are free of political pressures, says SC

DG Rangers and the chief secretary Sindh appear in court for Karachi unrest case hearing.

KARACHI: Law enforcement agencies face political pressure, hence peace in the city cannot be established till they are freed from this interference, stated the five-member bench of the apex court, Express News reported on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court's five-member bench made this statement during the hearing of the case pertaining to the follow-up of the court orders issued in the suo motu notice taken by the Supreme Court last year.

The court also directed the Sindh government to present the terms and conditions upon which licenses for arms are issued.

Earlier during the hearing, all police officials accompanying high-level officials to the hearing of the Karachi unrest case underway in the Karachi Registry were ordered to return to their duties by the five-member bench.

The court, while the hearing was underway, ordered all SHOs to return to their police stations for performing their duties.

“If all officers come here, who will perform their duties in their respective areas?” enquired the bench before sending all of them off to their designated posts.

The five-member bench is hearing the case to assess if and how the earlier verdict of the court was implemented in the city.

Out of the officials summoned in the previous hearing, DG Rangers, IG Sindh and the chief secretary Sindh appeared in court.

The heads of law enforcement agencies assured the court that measures ensuring peace in the city had been enacted.

In the last hearing, the police and Sindh officials tried their best to persuade the Supreme Court that they had acted on its recommendations from a year ago to successfully bring down Karachi’s crime rate – but the judges would have none of it.