Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Wednesday said the recovery of missing persons remained the top priority for the Supreme Court, adding that the security forces had failed to restore peace and order in Balochistan. Hearing the Balochistan unrest case at the Supreme Court’s Quetta Registry, Chief Justice Chaudhry said the court knew what law had to do. He expressed his anguish over the attitude of the defense and federal secretaries who did not appear before the court.
“It appears from the secretaries’ attitude that they have no interest in Balochistan,” he said. Frontier Corps Inspector General Obaidullah Khattak acknowledged that the performance of law enforcement agencies in recovering missing persons was unsatisfactory. Reprimanding the FC IG, the chief justice said the province’s security situation was deteriorating by the day and judges, uniformed coast guards and members of the Shia community were being targeted and killed at will. Khattak said the court should consider the FC’s actions in the region and make a note of the sacrifices rendered by its members. “You have failed. We know what the law has to do. Give us in writing if you can’t do anything,” Justice Chaudhry said. “Who will provide relief to the people? The United Nations has taken a notice of Shia killings. Shia-Sunni killing is bringing a bad name to the country.”
The chief justice also denounced TV channels, saying what did they do except criticizing the judges. Khattak alleged that the FC was being maligned under a well-thought out plan. To this, the chief justice said much had also been said about the judiciary. Justice Khilji said a UN delegation was to arrive in Pakistan to review the situation.
Recovery of missing persons top priority: CJP
