Home dept seeks court permission to re-impose ban

The earlier notification was suspended by the high court on November 15.

KARACHI: A day after two people lost their lives in a bomb blast allegedly planted on a motorcycle, the provincial government has requested the Sindh High Court to allow it to ban the use of motorcycles in Karachi until the 10th of Muharram.

On November 15, the home department had notified a ban on the use of motorcycles on Muharram 1 after the interior ministry issued directives for banning motorcycles in Karachi and Quetta due to the looming threat of terrorism.

 

But in an unexpected move, SHC Chief Justice Mushir Alam suspended the notification on the same day after the SHC Bar Association’s secretary Shahab Sarki filed an application against the government’s move.

As the court initiated formal proceedings the next day, the Sindh government’s law officer informed the court that the home department had withdrawn the ban. The court had, however, extended the suspension orders until the next hearing date.



With the high court scheduled to take up the case today (Tuesday), Waseem Ahmed, the home department’s additional chief secretary, filed an application on Monday to seek formal permission from the court to re-impose the ban.

In his application, Ahmed stated that intelligence agencies have credible information that some militants have entered the city and could use motorcycles for carrying out terrorist attacks particularly targeting Imambargahs.



“A day ago, two people were killed and around 19 were wounded in a bomb blast that targeted an Imambargah and a motorcycle was used,” the additional chief secretary wrote.

The provincial government could impose a ban on motorcycle riding in exercise of sub-clause 6 of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, he contended. “The government wants to protect the civil and social rights of the citizens. Therefore, the home department should be allowed to ban the use of motorcycles until Muharram 10 in Karachi.”

Citing an earlier example, the secretary argued that the Supreme Court had also allowed the provincial government to ban motorcycles back in 1993 when the Ahmedia community was being targeted. “Considering the plea on the same grounds, such permission should be granted this time [also].”

The petition is scheduled to be taken up with the home secretary’s application today.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2012.