Security lapse?: ‘12 high court judges without police escorts’
CJ Mushir Alam says govt is expected to provide bulletproof vehicles to SHC judges.
Till date 12 SHC judges are being protected by a single guard. PHOTO: RASHID AJMERI/FILE
KARACHI:
Out of the 25 judges appointed at the Sindh High Court (SHC), 12 of them are still waiting for their mobile police escorts, it was learnt by The Express Tribune on Wednesday.
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.
Out of the 25 judges appointed at the Sindh High Court (SHC), 12 of them are still waiting for their mobile police escorts, it was learnt by The Express Tribune on Wednesday.
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.