Police, FC at each other's throats instead of improving law and order: CJP

SC seeks copy of Governor's rule notification. Wants to see report on action against terrorists at next hearing.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday sought a copy of the notification under which the governor’s rule was imposed in Balochistan and the status of security after members of the Hazara community sat in the middle of Quetta’s streets for three days to protest sectarian attacks against their community.

Advocate General Balochistan Amanullah Kinrani informed the court that his office had yet to receive the notification under which governor’s rule was imposed. He added that a copy would be submitted to the court the moment the notification arrived.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry leading a three-judge bench had taken up the petition of filed by Balochistan High Court Bar Association represented by its president Malik Zahoor Shahwani and vice president Sajjid Tareen against the rising terrorism, kidnapping for ransom and alarming increase in enforced disappearances.

Among the absentees were the counsel for Balochistan government Advocate Shahid Hamid, chief secretary and the provincial inspector general police.

The court asked the Balochistan advocate general about the status of culprits responsible for twin bombings in Quetta which resulted in the death of 87 people. Kinrani replied that none of those responsible had yet been arrested, to which the chief justice regretted that the administration did not want to arrest the criminals. “Scores of people have gone missing in the province, but only few [of the missing] have been recovered despite many proceedings and orders of the apex court on the issue,” the chief justice observed.

"From day one the court has been asking for the enforcement of fundamental rights of the people but nothing had been done. Both police and the Frontier Corps (FC) were at each other’s throats instead of concentrating on improving law and order," the chief justice lamented.

The chief justice also explained that the SC’s October 12, 2012 order had only held the provincial government and not the provincial assembly responsible for failing in controlling the law and order situation in Balochistan.

The court postponed further proceedings till January 29 and summoned a compliance report from the federal as well as provincial governments in this regard.