Karachi unrest case: SC dissatisfied with Sindh govt's report
24 October, 2012
KARACHI: The Sindh government has informed a five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court that it wanted to bring strict laws against illegal weapons but the move could not be materialised due to reservations of collation partners. The SC also rejected the government's report pertaining to implementation of its verdict in the Karachi unrest case given last year. Sindh Advocate General Abdul Fattah Malik, Inspector General Fayyaz Leghari, Additional IG Iqbal Mehmood, AIG (Legal) Alisher Jakhrani, Sindh Prosecutor General Shahadat Awan, Additional Chief Secretary Home Department Wasim Ahmad and other officials were present in the court on Tuesday during hearing of the Karachi unrest case. Malik presented the report on implementation of the court's order in the Karachi unrest case, underway at the Karachi Registry of the court, but the larger bench expressed distrust over it. Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali said, "After the passage of approximately 13 months of the SC's verdict and directions issued to the provincial government, the Sindh government did not comply one percent of the verdict and directions." The bench further said in its observations, "The government has no any interest in the general public's rights, to provide a peaceful atmosphere and security, to curb criminals and other anti-people elements from society." Malik said numerous criminals had been arrested after the SC's verdict, adding they had proposed to the government for legislation against such elements. He said, "The government had attempted to make strict legislation against illegal arms but a few friends have strict reservations over the said legislation." The bench observed, "Any legislation which is in the favour of the government is legislated within a few minutes, but public interest legislation is sent to cold storage." The bench also called Sindh chief secretary, representatives of NADRA and Election Commission of Pakistan to appear on Wednesday (today) regarding reconstitution of electoral constituencies in the metropolis. The AG said Karachi was a huge city where people came from across the country, including criminals. That is why it was hard to control them, he added. The bench expressed displeasure over the AG's stance and asked who was responsible for controlling the situation. Malik admitted it was responsibility of the law enforcement agencies and government, but blamed lack of resources for the failure to implement the court's order. The judges said high-ranking officials, instead of moving with a squad, should let policemen do their jobs. The bench said further the police are meant to serve the citizens, not officials. Waseem Ahmed accused courts of letting criminals walk free, saying they had apprehended more than 8,000 people for illegal possession of arms, but courts let most of them go. Justice Khilji Arif Hussain said governments do not legislate for punishing criminals. The court expressed displeasure over blockades across the city and ordered for their removal, including the ones put on the road outside Bilawal House. Malik also informed the bench over 1,800 people had been killed in the city between January 1 and October 20, but failed to state measures taken to curb these killings. End.
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