ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday said the federal and provincial governments were responsible for failing to maintain peace in Balochistan.
“But the court will not rest until rule of law is restored to the province,” Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said while hearing a case about law and order situation in Balochistan.The three-member bench also includes Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez.The Supreme Court was informed that another three missing persons – Naseer Ahmad, Akhtar Mohammad Lango and Abdul Hafeez – were recovered and had returned to their home in Quetta on Monday.The SC ordered that the three missing persons be presented in the SC Quetta Registry on April 30 and the Balochistan IGP should inform the court about the agency that had picked them up and under which law.
The missing persons were recovered following the directives of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. They had gone missing from the Killi Ismail area of Quetta three weeks ago.The chief justice also enquired why there were so many targeted killings happening in Balochistan and who would control the situation. He said there was an international conspiracy to create a law and order crisis in Balochistan because the province was at the front line.“The government gave Rs 250 million to each MPA but they did nothing for the betterment of the people. The court had issued orders to the federal government about law and order in the province but it also did nothing,” he said, adding that the court was least bothered about speeches made against it, but the people must be given protection as they were being mercilessly killed.
The bench ordered the attorney general and the advocate general to present a detailed report on the names of victims of religious organizations who were killed during the past two months.The next hearing of the case will be held at the SC’s Quetta Registry on April 30.Earlier during the hearing, the court pointed out that it (SC) was prima facie of the view that without identification by the police and Levies Force or any other such like source, it was impossible for any of the agencies, if at all, to pick up a person.The court noted in its order that on last date of hearing, seven persons were found missing from the area of Saryab (Quetta); however, they have also been recovered by the police and it is alleged that they were picked up by the agencies but to establish this assertion, no evidence/proof had been furnished nor anybody was willing to disclose the name of the agencies “because we (Court) have enquired from the police but they, as usual, express their inability in this regard. Be that as it may, the advocate general Balochistan is directed to produce these persons in Court on the next date of hearing at Quetta”.
“We may reiterate here that it is the duty of the provincial as well as federal government to maintain law and order and to provide security to the life and property of the citizen being subject of the Constitution. The situation, which is prevailing in the province of Balochistan, as already explained in our earlier orders, needs special interest and attention of both the governments i.e. provincial and federal,” the order said.It added that copies of the orders dated 5th and 6th April, 2012 had already been sent to both the governments, “but no response so far had been received from either, however, since the advocate general has requested for time to comply with the directions contained in the said orders, therefore, the case is adjourned to April 30”. – PT
