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KARACHI:
The chief justice of the Sindh High Court has
rejected the Sindh government’s argument that target
killings are not just this province’s problem but
that of the entire country
Such an argument cannot be used to shift the burden
of responsibilityaway
from the authorities, observed Chief
Justice Mushir Alam.
The bench heard a constitutional petition filed by
Syed Muhammad Iqbal Kazmi, a social worker and
representative of the Human Rights Commission for
South Asia, against the law-enforcement agencies.
The petitioner submitted written arguments before
the court because he felt this was necessary due to
the “sensitive nature of the case”.
The statement cited that families of 2,835 target
killing victims were still waiting
for arrests and convictions.
Millions of residents in Karachi feel insecure,
Kazmi said. He referred to an SHC order passed on
April 15, 2010 that directed the Sindh police to
provide a list of target killing cases, including
those that were reported and registered. The police
was also directed to submit a progress report.
Kazmi maintained that none of the parties named in
the case, except for the Rangers, was attending the
hearing. Even the Additional Advocate General (AAG),
representing the provincial government, has no
specific information and is only saying things to
malign me, he added.
He said that 270 people in Karachi died in target
killings in the first
three months this year, including 51
activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement and 12
each of the Pakistan Peoples Party and the Awami
National Party.
The petitioner also referred to Article 9 of the
Constitution under which the State and its
“apparatus” are responsible for protecting the lives
and properties of its citizens. A duty that the
authorities have failed to perform, he said.
He asked the court to direct the government to
launch an operation for the recovery of illegal
weapons in Karachi with the assistance of the
Pakistan Army.
AAG Sarwar Khan tried to argue that terrorism had
the entire country in its grip and was not limited
to Sindh alone, at which the bench, comprising Alam
and Justice Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi, said that the
provincial government cannot shrug off its
responsibilities by making such statements.
The bench asked about the target killing cases in
which men were acquitted because of insufficient
evidence and why this happened, however, the
government lawyers were unable to reply. The feputy
attorney general stated that only the DIG
investigations has this information.
The bench then ordered the DIG to appear in person
with all relevant details. The hearing was adjourned
indefinitely.
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