SC trashes Sindh Police report as ‘just a piece of paper’

• Court observes report isn’t more than a piece of paper
• Seeks details of all prisoners released on parole since 2012
• Directs federation, provinces to redress Rangers’ reservations

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday once again rejected the report submitted by the Sindh Police chief, observing that “it is just a piece of paper”.

“It (the report) is not more than a piece of paper for us, there is nothing (in it) but statistics,” observed a larger bench of the apex court while conducting hearing of the Karachi law and order case for the second consecutive day at the court’s Karachi registry.

The bench was headed by Chief Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and comprised Justice Ameer Hani Muslim, Justice Khilji Arif, Justice Faisal Arab and Justice Azmat Saeed.

After the court rejected the Sindh Police’s first report on Monday, Inspector General of Police Ghulam Haider Jamali, appearing before the judges, submitted another report over his department’s performance.

The report detailed that at least 159 targeted killings had been reported in the city in 2015 out of which 83 cases had been lodged with different police stations. “Thirty-nine (people) accused of killings were arrested; 15 were killed in encounters; while 63 are still absconding. Police have submitted 22 challans of target killing cases in court whereas four cases were declared C class,” the report added.

Nevertheless, the judges expressed displeasure and dissatisfaction over Sindh Police’s performance, and termed the report as only “a piece of paper”. The bench also sought details of all the prisoners released on parole since 2012, remarking that how a convicted person could be released on parole.

During the proceedings, the court was informed that a kidnapping case had been registered against an officer of the Counter Terrorism Department and explanations had been sought from other officers for not sharing the report(s).

Furthermore, the court directed the federation, provinces and other stakeholders to redress the paramilitary Rangers’ reservations, observing, “All the stakeholders should sit together and resolve Rangers’ powers issue for the sake of Karachi.”

It also instructed the chief secretary to submit a report regarding the powers of Rangers on the next hearing. Later, the court adjourned the hearing till March 10.

During Monday’s hearing, the Rangers had requested for the grant of policing powers through which the paramilitary force could register FIRs, submit challans to the courts and establish their own police stations.

The Rangers had demanded the court that their powers, such as prosecuting suspects involved in terrorist activities, targeted killings, extortion and kidnapping for ransom, be extended.

The Rangers’ lawyer had submitted that the paramilitary force had arrested heinous criminals, such as the main suspect in the Safoora carnage case, but later they were released due to poor investigation of the police.