Post Reply 
 
Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Sort out Karachi before it’s too late, SC warns
10-07-2011, 12:25 PM
Post: #1
Sort out Karachi before it’s too late, SC warns
ISLAMABAD - Announcing its reserved verdict in a suo motu case on the Karachi violence, the Supreme Court stated on Thursday that any further failure to protect the lives and property of citizens would cause unprecedented disaster, therefore all efforts should be made to avoid it.
The apex court observed that the city’s police force had to be depoliticised and strengthened in order to come out of the grave situation of law and order in Karachi. The verdict said unless there was a depoliticised police, the situation of law and order was likely to become more aggravated as soon as the assistance of Rangers was withdrawn. The 157-page verdict authored by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry told the Sindh Police inspector general (IG) to collect records and facts about the disappearance or elimination of all police and other officials who took part in the Karachi operations of 1992 and 1996, or were witnesses in ethnic or related crimes, and present a report to the court within the next month, also showing whether their families were compensated or not.

The court also ordered the Sindh government to place on court record copies of all the judicial inquiries instituted in the matter of law and order in Karachi since 1985. The apex court observed that the violence in Karachi during the current year and in the past was not ethnic alone, but it was also a turf war between different groups having economic, socio-political interests to strengthen their position, based on the phenomenon of tit for tat with political, moral and financial support or endorsement of the political parties, who were claiming their representation on behalf of the people of Karachi including components and non-components of provincial government and executive.
The verdict declared that recent violence in Karachi represented unimaginable brutalities, bloodshed, kidnapping and throwing away dead bodies and torsos in bags, indicating a toll of 306 lives in one month. Extortion was rampant and torture cells had also been detected, which made the lives and properties of the citizens insecure, said the verdict.
The court observed that in respect of banning any political party including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), against whom all the interveners had mostly voiced complaints, was not within the domain of the court at this stage and it was the responsibility of the federal government to act under Article 17 for action against any party violating it. According to the verdict, the court would only review such issues at any other appropriate stage or proceeding if then necessary.
The court said the political parties should denounce their affiliation with criminals, who had made their way into them, in the interest of the country and democratic setup.
It observed further that in order to avoid political polarisation and to break the cycle of ethnic strife and turf wars, boundaries of administrative units such as police stations, revenue estates and the like ought to be altered so that the members of different communities may live together in harmony.
The court observed that equal chances should be provided to the different communities of Karachi to participate in economic and commercial activities instead of confining them to different political groups on the basis of parochial, racial, tribal, sectarian, partisan and provincial prejudices.
It stated that Karachi was full of arms and ammunition of prohibited and non-prohibited bores including licenced and illicit, thus Karachi had to be cleansed from all kinds of weapons, and if need be, by promulgating new legislation.
The court observed that there was a need for a fresh comprehensive law to eliminate and punish land-grabbers and encroachers, as it was one of Karachi’s greatest problems.
The court also stated that the appointments of presiding officers of anti-terrorism courts should also not be delayed for any reason.
The court also directed that there must be no ‘no-go areas’ at all in Karachi and if any such area was found or credibly reported to the court, the police and if required by the provincial government, Rangers, would take strong and decisive action to eliminate it. It said if such an area was proved to exist to the satisfaction of the court, it may require the IG himself, and if necessary the Rangers director general as well, to personally lead the operation into such areas.
The court ordered that an independent and a depoliticised investigation agency be deployed to conduct investigation of cases fairly, honestly and without being influenced in any manner.
The court also told the government should to provide protection to businessmen against uncalled-for and illegal shutter-down strikes.
To an application wherein documents were filed to establish allegations against the sovereignty of Pakistan attributed to MQM chief Altaf Hussain, along with two CDs, and another application filed to summon former Sindh home minister Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, who had deposed on the Holy Quran against the MQM, the court pointed out that the instant proceedings were not adversarial but inquisitorial, which had been initiated in the public interest.
The court disposed of the matter with the following saying of James Bryce: “Our country is not the only thing to which we owe our allegiance. It is also owed to justice and to humanity. Patriotism consists not in waving the flag, but in striving that our country shall be righteous as well as strong.”
Visit this user's website Find all posts by this user
Quote this message in a reply
Post Reply 


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread: Author Replies: Views: Last Post
  FBR Drafts Tax Laws to End Concept of Late Filers and Non-Filers LRE-Azan 0 90 10-21-2024 02:20 PM
Last Post: LRE-Azan
  Late payments delay project Salman 0 4,032 02-18-2013 06:54 PM
Last Post: Salman
  LDA warns dodgy name users Salman 0 3,973 02-08-2013 01:31 PM
Last Post: Salman
  LDA warns dodgy name users Salman 0 3,739 02-07-2013 06:56 PM
Last Post: Salman
  LDA warns developers and builders Salman 0 4,273 01-26-2013 01:51 PM
Last Post: Salman
  Villagers, CDA sort out issues as road starts Salman 0 4,877 08-30-2012 07:05 PM
Last Post: Salman
  LDA warns of illegal housing colony Salman 0 5,065 08-23-2012 12:29 PM
Last Post: Salman
  CDA realised too late National park land under dispute Salman 0 3,835 04-13-2012 12:26 PM
Last Post: Salman
  City of Late Ravi River Salman 0 4,475 12-04-2011 03:27 PM
Last Post: Salman
  Township industry warns of protest against outages Lahore_Real_Estate 0 4,105 09-30-2011 05:40 PM
Last Post: Lahore_Real_Estate
  Imran warns of march on Islamabad Lahore_Real_Estate 0 3,757 04-25-2011 01:51 PM
Last Post: Lahore_Real_Estate
  UK Embassy warns visa seeking students of unscrupulous agents Lahore_Real_Estate 0 5,051 04-14-2011 11:39 AM
Last Post: Lahore_Real_Estate
  Before its Too Late! (Javed Ch) LRE 0 3,407 02-20-2011 02:02 PM
Last Post: LRE
  Saudi warns US of possible attack: report Lahore_Real_Estate 0 4,303 11-06-2010 12:31 PM
Last Post: Lahore_Real_Estate
  It's never too late Lahore_Real_Estate 0 2,850 10-29-2010 06:38 PM
Last Post: Lahore_Real_Estate
  SMS warns citizens of roadside robbers Lahore_Real_Estate 0 3,468 10-19-2010 11:50 AM
Last Post: Lahore_Real_Estate
  Airspace violation: Pakistan warns Nato Lahore_Real_Estate 0 3,985 10-02-2010 01:25 PM
Last Post: Lahore_Real_Estate
  Go to ATM before it is too late Lahore_Real_Estate 0 3,009 09-09-2010 10:37 AM
Last Post: Lahore_Real_Estate
  White House warns Florida church not to burn Quran Lahore_Real_Estate 0 3,514 09-08-2010 03:06 PM
Last Post: Lahore_Real_Estate
  Kerry warns of instability in Pakistan Lahore_Real_Estate 0 3,713 08-31-2010 12:31 PM
Last Post: Lahore_Real_Estate

Forum Jump:


User(s) browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)