Till date 12 SHC judges are being protected by a single guard. PHOTO: RASHID AJMERI/FILE
The provincial government was supposed to provide complete security to all judges of the SHC some months ago, but till date 12 judges were being protected by a single guard, official sources said. No escorts or additional security was been provided to them, they added.
After a recent announcement by the interior minister to withdraw security given to government officials, a letter was written by the high court to the said ministry to retain Rangers escort with Justice Maqbool Baqar, they informed. “Rather, they were asked to beef up security for the senior judge.”
In the wake of the attack on Justice Maqbool Baqar near Burns Road, the high court had decided to request the government to provide bulletproof vehicles to all of its judges, the sources said.
Meanwhile, SHC Chief Justice Mushir Alam said that the provision of foolproof security to the judges was the responsibility of the government, which was expected to provide bulletproof vehicles to the judges.
Presiding over a full court meeting of the judges, the chief justice said that the judges were doing their job and giving verdicts at the risk of their lives.
Death sentences, he said, awarded by the courts should be executed and the government should not extend undue favours to anyone.
Justice Alam said a digital surveillance system had been put in place at the high court, and the government had been informed about the jammers.
“The whole city needs this (digital surveillance) system. The graph of crime is going up in the city because of non-availability of the GSM locators,” he added.
Security meeting called
The chief justice has called a high-level meeting of provincial government officials and law enforcers on Friday to discuss the security of the high court judges and the high court building.
Following the brutal incident, the high court’s senior judge Faisal Arab sought a report from the inspector general of police regarding the attack.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2013.
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As much as I condemn the attack on the Judge, why does anyone doesn't look the killings going on daily in Karachi. Is it because its of the common man?
If its the job of the provincial government then federal government should pressurize them. Instead all I see is meetings on how to get Musharaf executed or how to save judges. No one talks about how to control Karachi law and order and killings. Every other day Karachi is shut due to Day of Mourning.
The interior minister is busy in making statements rather than doing anything concrete while the provincial government is as useless as it gets which is evident from their last 5 years' performance.
I guess acquitting terrorists under the excuse of 'not enough evidence' by these judges and their minions in lower courts is not enough to guarantee their safety. Good that they are learning this bitter lesson, that the rest of the nation has already learnt.
It was sectarian violence. CJP shouldn't be worried. He belongs to the same school of thought, which guarantees his safety.
Security is the issue of a common man what to talk about other people who deserve secuirity, but they have not been provided any security, despite so many incidents have taken place.