During Thursday’s hearing of the Karachi law and order case, Justice Gulzar remarked that there was not a semblance of law and order in the city.
A five-member larger bench of the apex court comprising Justices Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Sarmad Jalal Osmany, Khilji Arif Hussain, Gulzar Ahmed and Amir Hani Muslim was seized with the proceedings for the implementation of the apex court’s earlier order in a Karachi killings suo motu case.
Last year, the Supreme Court had given its detailed order in the case after the chief justice had taken suo motu action on the security situation in the city.
During the hearing, the police submitted its report pertaining to targeted killings and told the bench that police had been taking targeted action against terrorists in various areas of the city, including Sohrab Goth and Manghopir.
The bench expressed displeasure upon reviewing the report and inquired as to what the Rangers personnel had accomplished that Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Waseem Ahmed had praised their performance.
The court moreover inquired whether Waseem Ahmed’s praise meant that the police in Karachi should be replaced with the Rangers.
The court was informed that terrorists had targeted high-ranking police officials on several occasions.
The bench stated that anything was possible in a country where those responsible for the killings of police officials could not be arrested.
The bench summoned a list of people murdered during the past one year as well as a monthly report on the city’s public transport.
Justice Khilji in his remarks said that 90 per cent of the city’s population was undergoing immense mental stress, adding that, each killing led to creating fear and panic amongst the public.
He said the police had been labelling murders as targeted killings on its whim, adding that it was ordinary people who had been dying.
Also Thursday, a list of prisoners released on payroll was submitted to the bench. According to the list, 193 convicted, whereas 53 accused prisoners had been released.
The bench directed authorities to act against cars without number plates with immediate effect.
The bench adjourned the hearing sine die.
Earlier on Wednesday, the bench had ordered the Sindh police chief and other authorities to submit a report on infiltration of over 7,000 Taliban activists in Karachi and release of 150 convicts on parole.
