Balochistan issue: Target killing defamed the country: CJ

Bolan Voice Report

The Supreme Court Quetta Registry resumed the hearing of a petition on the law and order situation and missing persons in Balochistan on Wednesday.

A three-member bench of the apex court comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja, was hearing the petition filed by the Balochistan Bar Association on the law and order situation in Balochistan.

When the hearing started, the court was told that the attorney general will appear at 11:30 am while Inspector General Frontier Corps (IG FC) Maj Gen Obaidullah Khattak was present in the court.

While addressing the IG FC, Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry remarked that much was expected from the FC but its involvement in the missing persons’ case and failure to deliver has defamed the country on international level.

On this, Khattak alleged that the FC was being maligned under a well-thought out plan.

Upon which, the chief justice said that much had also been said about the judiciary.

Chief Secretary told the bench that IG has stated in his report that missing persons were in FC’s custody on which the IG FC said that it is very easy to blame any one.

The chief justice said that the security situation in the province is deteriorating on a daily basis and that judges, uniformed coast guards and members of the Shia community are being targeted and killed.

He further said that if law enforcement agencies could not produce effective results, then they should notify the bench in writing and the bench would relay that information to the provincial governor and chief minister.

Chief Justice Iftikhar remarked that media reports said that even a United Nations delegation would be arriving in Pakistan to analyze the situation in the wake of the targeted killings of members of the Shia community.

“The UN has also taken notice of the killings,” the chief justice said.

On this, Khattak said that they need to assess the law and order situation on a greater scale and it was every institution’s duty.

Advocate General Amanullah acknowledged that situation was deteriorating.

Earlier day, the chief justice had directed the provincial chief secretary to take steps to improve law and order in two weeks. Also, CJ Iftikhar had termed the killing of Akbar Bugti a big mistake and had observed that peace could not be restored in Balochistan until the issue of Dera Bugti was resolved.