Karachi law and order case: Chief Secretary Sindh submits report
- September 19, 2013, 7:22 pm
- National News
- 107 Views
KARACHI Sept 19 (Online): The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) on Thursday resumed hearing Karachi unrest case where the Chief Secretary Sindh has submitted a report pertaining to the steps taken to restore peace in the business hub.
A five-bench larger bench of the SC headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is hearing the case today.
Inspector General Sindh, Additional Inspector General Sindh, Director General of Sindh Rangers and Chief Secretary Sindh are also present in the hearing.
According to the report submitted by the Chief Secretary on behalf of the provincial government, Rangers are conducting the targeted operation in Karachi, however, the Sindh government is monitoring the action. Moreover, Rangers have been given control of one police station in five districts of the city.
The report further revealed that 1,357 accused involved in target killings, extortion and other crimes were arrested from September 5 to 16. While addressing the issue of weapon smuggling, the report stated that the Customs and law enforcement agencies (LEAs) lack coordination to control the situation, however, instructions to improve the coordination among the departments have been issued during a high level meeting.
In the last hearing, the apex court had appointed former Customs member Ramzan Bhatti to constitute a one-man fact-finding commission to look into the report with regard to smuggling of illegal arms into the country in shipping containers. The SC had ordered him to submit his report in seven days.
Sources told that Ramzan Bhatti has also submitted his report in this regard.
The SC, on Tuesday, had issued notices to the concerned parties including Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) Senator Babar Khan Ghauri.
The concerned parties include Chief Secretary Sindh, Inspector General Sindh, Director General Sindh Rangers and Additional Chief Secretary. Also, MQM leader Babar Ghauri was notified on his request to become party in the case.
Babar Ghauri was of the view that DG Sindh Rangers should either prove his allegations or withdraw his statement by appearing in person in the court.
The authorities of Customs, Coast Guard and Maritime Security Agency had also been served with a notice to appear in today’s hearing.
The SC was scheduled to hear the Karachi law and order case on September 18 at the Karachi Registry, however, the proceedings were then set on September 19 due to change in the court’s schedule.
