The Supreme Court on Friday summoned the former customs collector over the issue of transportation of arms, asking him to appear in court on next hearing of the Karachi law and order implementation case.
A five-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Muhammad Ather Saeed and Justice Azmat Saeed resumed hearing in the case for the third consecutive day at the Supreme Court Karachi Registry.
During the hearing, the chief justice questioned Rangers Sindh Director General Major General Rizwan Akhtar that where had the weapons in Karachi come from.
On this, the Akhtar said the issue of missing 19,000 arms in containers came into limelight several years ago.
He further said that those containers arrived and were opened during the time period of former minister for ports and shipping.
He said the same weapons were being used in Karachi and the city was burning due to the very reason.
“Moreover, various agencies are investigating about that ammunition,” the Rangers Sindh DG said.
He apprised the bench that local, German and American 9mm pistols were used in the targeted killings, and that the arms sent to the factories of Peshawar and Darra Adamkhel were imported.
The chief justice said the federal government must cooperate with the provincial government for restoration of peace in Karachi. The court later adjourned the hearing until September 18.
Before the hearing, Bena Khalid, wife of a missing person Khalid, staged a sit-in outside the SC Karachi Registry. The CJ took note of the protest and ordered the concerned authorities to solve her case.
The CJ’s secretary, on behalf of the chief justice, requested Bena Khalid to end her protest and asked her to submit an application. To this, Bena said she had already filed the application thrice and showed reluctance in filing it again.
She said she would continue protest until she was allowed to meet the chief justice.