CJP Iftikhar urges officials to restore peace in Balochistan
04 September, 2012
QUETTA: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Chaudhry on Monday expressed concern over law and order situation in Balochistan and asked the quarters concerned to improve the condition.
The Supreme Court resumed hearing of a petition on the law and order situation and human rights violations, at the Quetta Registry.
A three-member bench, consisting of the CJP, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, is hearing a petition filed by the Balochistan Bar Association in this regard.
Justice Chaudhry asked Balochistan Advocate General Amanullah Kinrani to inform the court about the security situation from July 31 onwards. The advocate general said that the situation was under control until August 26.
"Do you know sessions judge was killed in the city?" the CJP inquired.
Kinrani said, "Whenever you visit Quetta some hidden forces destroy the city's peace. The CJP said, "It is your duty to find them and control them."
The CJP asked the advocate general, "How many people from Shia and Sunni sects were killed in the past six months."
"The police has failed and that is why the powers have been given to the FC," Justice Chaudhry said.
To a question about sectarian killings, Quetta CPO Mir Zubair informed the court that the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi had claimed responsibility for the killing of the sessions judge.
"Who are they? Where they live? We don't know," Zubair said, adding that after the killing of the judge they had conducted raids and arrested two accused, identified as Qasim and Waqas.
"As many as 16 police officers were killed in last two-and-a-half months," the official informed the court.
"The situation is very bad. We don't know what will happen," Justice Chaudhry said, adding that where were the governor, government and law enforcers.
"The law and order was precarious so much so that the people were not sure if they return to their homes safely," he said, adding that Raisani Road and Brewery Road always remained blocked.
The Federal Board of Revenue chairman informed the court that the government had started a crackdown on illegal and smuggled vehicles. CJP Chaudhry said that the province's law and order was linked to illegal vehicles and asked who gave rahdari for the illegal vehicle.
The customs collector informed the court that secret agencies were giving the rahdari. The FBR chairman informed the court that more than 100,000 illegal vehicles were plying in Balochistan and around 255 vehicles were impounded so far.
The court ordered officials concerned to arrest the owners of the illegal vehicles after registering cases against them.
PM Ashraf tasks Magsi to deal with situation
Balochistan Governor Zulfiqar Khan Magsi called on Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf at the Prime Minister's House on Monday and discussed with him the current situation in Balochistan, with special emphasis on prevailing law and order situation in the province
The PM directed the governor to formulate a strategy on an urgent basis to ensure security of life and property of the people of the province. He said that Balochistan is one of the top most priorities of his government and the federal government had allocated Rs 6 billion for completion of Kacchi Canal Project so that it is completed before the end of the year. The project would irrigate 55,000 acres of land on completion.
Meanwhile, a delegation of parliamentarians hailing from Federally Administrative Tribal Areas (FATA) led by Hameedullah Jan Afridi also called on Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and discussed matters pertaining to development projects initiated by the present government in the area.
The PM reiterated his government's firm resolve to bring socio-economic change in the lives of the people of FATA. In this connection, he said, that the government has allocated record amount of funds for development projects in the area.
The PM said that the decision of introducing local governments in Tribal Areas by President Asif Ali Zardari, on the eve of 66th Independence Day, is yet another step towards bringing the people of the region into the mainstream.
The meeting was attended by senators Rasheed Ahmed, Hilalur Rahman and Haji Khan. MNAs Bilal Rahman, Kamran Khan and Zafar Baig Betanni also attended the meeting.
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