SC takes suo moto notice of police encounters in Punjab

LAHORE: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Sunday took suo motu notice of alleged extrajudicial killings in Punjab.

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, taking notice of the issue, asked Punjab IGP Arif Nawaz to submit a detailed report within seven days.

Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik and Justice Ijazul Ahsan were other two members of the bench that heard the petition and suo motu notice at the Lahore registry.

The bench is seized of matters involving various issues of public interests, like the removal of security barricades in the provincial capital, provision of clean drinking water and public health facilities.

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif personally appeared before the bench to explain his government’s position regarding the provision of clean drinking water to people and disposal of a large quantity of untreated wastewater into River Ravi.

“The IGP should know the number of police encounters at his fingertips,” the chief justice remarked while rejecting the request of the top police official of extending the deadline one more week.

Justice Nisar said that the court wanted to know how many people had been killed in the police encounters.

Also, the chief justice ordered removal of security barriers placed outside different buildings, including former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s Jati Umra residence, Punjab Chief Minister’s Model Town residence, the Punjab Governor House, Jamia Al Qadsia, residences of Hafiz Saeed and Punjab governor late Salmaan Taseer, Qilla Gujjar Singh Police Station, passport office and other sites.