CJ unhappy over police powers for FC in Quetta

Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Monday questioned the Balochistan government’s decision to give police powers to Frontier Corps in Quetta, asking why the FC had been delegated policing powers when various allegations already existed against it. Hearing the Balochistan law and order case at Supreme Court’s Quetta Registry with Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Jawwad S Khwaja, the CJ wondered what the police had been doing all this time for restoring order in the province. The bench summoned the attorney general for today (Tuesday) to seek his comments on the development. Hearing the petition filed by the Balochistan High Court Bar Association, the chief justice said smuggled cars were being used across Balochistan and people were openly carrying and displaying arms. He said the authorities concerned were not taking any serious action and were involved in mere lip service, adding that deteriorating law and order had forced people to move to Punjab, Sindh and other areas of the country. The chief justice also inquired about the attorney general’s absence from court and Justice Khwaja also expressed his displeasure over the AG’s absence and non-serious behavior. The chief justice said Balochistan had become the province most-affected by lawlessness and these circumstances were persistently bothering all and sundry. Ordering Attorney General of Pakistan Irfan Qadir and federal secretaries of interior, defense and law to appear in court on Tuesday, the CJ noted that 17 police personnel killed in Balochistan had come for duty from other provinces. The chief justice said police officials were violating court’s orders and the situation had deteriorated to the extent that a district judge had been assassinated along with his security guard. Addressing Balochistan Inspector General Tariq Omar Khitab, Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry questioned his force’s performance. He said nine districts in Balochistan were sensitive and directed the inspector general police to submit a list of people falling victim to targeted killings in the province in the past six months.