Karachi unrest: Justice Khilji proposes sending Rangers back to borders

KARACHI:
Justice Khilji Arif Hussain remarked that rangers have produced no results in their 18 years in Karachi and should be sent back to safeguard the borders, Express News reported on Thursday.

The larger bench was hearing the case pertaining to the implementation of the court’s orders in the verdict given last year after the Supreme Court took suo motu of violence and unrest in the province.

The case is being heard in the Supreme Court’s Karachi Registry.

The report on target killings presented in court today stated that there were a total of 2,381 important cases including murder and out of them; only 661 suspects had been arrested while more than 3,500 remained at large.

Justice Khilji Arif Hussain remarked saying that the Rangers had been performing their duty in Karachi since 18 years and a hefty portion of the budget was being spent on them but added that the rangers had yielded no results.

He remarked that either the police should be removed from Karachi and only the Rangers be stationed here or send them back to safeguard our borders and use their portion of the budget on the police instead.

Unregistered vehicles

The Supreme Court had summoned the DIG traffic police in today’s hearing. The DIG appeared in court and upon being questioned about the state of traffic, informed the court that there were only 3000 traffic police officers in Karachi.

He said that there were around 15000 public transport vehicles in the city and around 2.7 million vehicles in total. He also informed the court that there were only 1500 police wardens available per shift to control this huge amount of traffic.

The court then issued orders to stop from operation and take action against vehicles which were unregistered, non-duty paid, internationally registered or in poor condition.

Justice Khilji Arif Hussain said that cage atop public transport buses should be removed too and remarked that there was no alternate system of public transport available for the public and that not even 10 percent of public transport drivers were licensed.

The court also ordered submission of details on unregistered government vehicles.

Target killings

Rejecting the report presented during today’s hearing, the larger bench ordered Sindh Police to submit a comprehensive report on target killings in the city over the past year.

The larger bench stated that while the police were fighting against terrorism, police officers were issuing mere Rs100 challans to unregistered vehicles and those without registration number plates.

The court asked how the situation in the city would improve at such a pace.

Sindh Government’s Finance secretary appeared in court, as did AIG Sindh Police Bashir Memon, who presented the report as directed by the court earlier.

The court was dissatisfied with the report.

Justice Khilji Arif Hussain remarked that every murder creates panic in the city and added that 90% of the people are now victims of psychological stress.

Despite this, said Justice Khilji, unregistered vehicles with flags were being driven around the city but no one was stopping these.

The court then ordered for a comprehensive report of target killings over the past year.

Two women killed in Dera Bugti landmine explosion

BALOCHISTAN:
Two women were killed while another two were injured when landmines exploded in district Dera Bugti of Balochistan on Thursday, Pakistan News reported.

According to a Levies official, the first blast occurred in the Phelawagh area, where the landmine was planted in a field and two women who were working there stepped on it and were killed.

A child was also hurt when the landmine exploded.

The second explosion took place in the Shamsar area in which a man named Abdullah sustained injuries.

The injured were moved to a nearby hospital.

Balochistan CM Raisani's PPP membership suspended for violating policies

QUETTA:
The party membership of Chief Minister Balochistan Aslam Raisani was suspended for continually violating party policies, Pakistan News reported on Thursday.
The Kalat division of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) took the decision. Division President Rafeeq Sajjad said that Raisani had been violating policies since the last four years.

According to the division president, the chief minister was not addressing issues faced by the party workers who had voted him into power nor was he spending enough time in Quetta.

He also said that the PPP had weakened in the province due to Raisani’s actions and policies.

Earlier, PPP provincial president Mir Muhammad Sadiq Umrani had called upon the federal government to declare the provincial government headed by Chief Minister Nawab Muhammad Aslam Raisani a failure.

He said that a new governmental structure needs to be formed in the province.

Various political and administrative options are being discussed in the wake of a damning Supreme Court judgment that held that the Balochistan government had failed in its fundamental responsibility of protecting the basic rights of the people.