The Supreme Court (SC) Karachi Registry completed the proceedings and reserved verdict in the suo motu case of Karachi violence, while giving orders to Karachi police to submit their progress report to the court regarding action against criminals, targeted killings and other heinous crimes.
A-five member bench of the SC, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Ghulam Rabbani, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Anwar Zahir Jamali and Justice Sarmad Jalal Usmani heard the suo motu case. The CJP observed that the judiciary had buried dictatorship and if any attempt was made to dismantle the courts, everything would collapse. In Thursday’s hearing, the CJP told the representative and chief lawyer of the Sindh government Fateh Malik to approach the government for legislation against collecting hides of sacrificial animals, as Eidul Azha was near. He said the situation was worsening day by day. “We have ordered repeatedly that every unconstitutional process should cease to exist. We want to tell everyone that nothing is acceptable other than the rule of law and democracy in this country,” he said.
The CJP told the Sindh advocate general and police to submit daily reports on the steps taken against criminals, to Justice Jamali. The court said in its order that the trial courts should complete the cases of extortion and targeted killings on a priority basis. Federal government’s counsel Senator Babar Awan told the court that besides administrative measures, the government would continue dialogue to bring peace to Karachi. Replying to the argument, the court said the issue was of crime and hence there was no room for dialogue in the matter.
Karachi Additional Inspector General (IG) Saud Mirza told the court that incidents of extortion had gone down and police had arrested two extortionists. The CJP ordered him to obtain written certificates from all four subordinate deputy IGs to the effect that extortion had been overcome. Justice Usmani remarked that arms licences were not needed in the United States and asked if the same system could be introduced in Pakistan so that peaceful citizens could defend themselves. Awan replied that the US was not the role model for the Pakistan government.
