Police cannot take action target killers because most of the suspects have political affiliations, revealed Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Saud Mirza’s statement that was submitted to the Sindh High Court on Wednesday.
Investigation Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Iftikhar Hussain Tarar submitted the statement on behalf of the CCPO before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Syed Hasan Rizvi in response to a constitutional petition filed by human rights activist Syed Mohammad Iqbal Kazmi against targeted killings. The DIG submitted that concrete measures taken by the CCPO against the suspects of targeted killings have led to the arrest of many of them this year, and relentless efforts to nab the remaining are still under way.
“The information gathered from interrogating the detainees will aid in exposing other suspects who are still at large, but they are expected to be arrested soon,” the CCPO said in the statement. Cooperation of intelligence agencies is also being sought for arresting the fugitives, but since most suspects are affiliated with different political parties, the police are facing difficulties in arresting them.
After listening to the CCPO’s statement, the court adjourned the hearing for the next date to be fixed later, and directed the Attorney General of Pakistan to submit comments in the next hearing. Petitioner Kazmi earlier submitted that the government had absolutely failed in providing security to the citizens because the ongoing targeted killings had claimed the lives of numerous citizens.
He said that only the Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi was banned from continuing its activities in the city’s some area, which were declared as no-go areas for its activists by another political party, in violation of the Constitution of Pakistan.
He added that despite making several tall claims, the Sindh Police had failed to arrest any suspects. Interior Secretary, Inter-Services Intelligence Director General, Intelligence Bureau Director General, Sindh Chief Secretary, Pakistan Rangers-Sindh Director General, Sindh Inspector General of Police, Karachi CCPO, Anti-Violent Crime Cell, Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Member of the Provincial Assembly Raza Haroon and Awami National Party-Sindh President among others were cited as respondents.
