The
Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad
Chaudhry observed on July 31 that
the worsening law and order in
Balochistan could be restored
in a week if the Frontier Corps
(FC) so desired, reports Dawn.
“It’s my belief that the situation
can be cooled down and they (FC)
can solve the problem in seven
days,” said the Chief Justice
who heads a Supreme Court bench
hearing a petition on the law
and order situation and human
rights violations in the province.
Otherwise, he cautioned, the situation
might get out of hand. The chief
justice made the observation when
Advocate Raja Mohammad Irshad,
representing (FC Director General
Major General Obaidullah Khattak,
said that although the FC was
exercising restraint, there was
a feeling that the agenda of “our
enemies are being promoted”. “Who
is promoting the agenda, you people
are,” the Chief Justice retorted
and asked the FC chief to realise
the situation that was developing.
“We
want to avoid a situation like
Lahore where a case has been registered
against the ISI DG and the MI
(Military Intelligence) that
is why we are emphasising upon
the FC to avoid getting the situation
going out of hand,” the Chief
Justice said. “It is high time
when you should come forward and
take the responsibility,” the
Chief Justice said while pointing
to the FC DG, adding that questions
were being raised about sovereignty
and security of the country. “It’s
time when the hearts and minds
of the people living in the neglected
province should be won,” the court
said.
Meanwhile,
the FC chief assured the court
that each and every soldier and
resources would be utilised to
improve the situation in Balochistan.
But he regretted that the FC was
covering less than five per cent
of the area in the province with
tied hands to respond to the incidents.
A composite statement was submitted
on behalf of the Federal as well
as Balochistan Governments assuring
the court that steps would be
taken to enforce Article 9 (security
of life and property) of the Constitution
in the province. A reluctant FC
Chief was asked to sign the document
which he did.
Meanwhile,
a composite statement signed by
Secretaries of Interior and Defence
and other authorities showing
commitment to implement judicial
orders on the Balochistan situation
was submitted before the Supreme
Court. The statement was submitted
by Balochistan Advocate General
Amanullah Kinrani before a three-judge
bench comprising Chief Justice
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice
Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Khilji
Arif Hussain in response to the
bench’s earlier direction.
Separately,
a special cabinet committee on
Balochistan, constituted in the
cabinet meeting, deliberated on
different dimensions of the issues
faced by the province, particularly
the administrative, political
and fiscal aspects of the problem.
The committee met here under the
chairmanship of Defence Minister
Naveed Qamar. The committee was
apprised on the issues faced by
the people of Balochistan and
concrete suggestions were sought
by the participants with a view
to devise a focused and comprehensive
strategy to address the issues
in the province. |
