Denounce your ties with criminals: Supreme Court asks political parties

The Supreme Court on Thursday announced its verdict in a suo motu case on Karachi targeted killings, urging political parties to end ties with criminal gangs. "We direct that there must be no 'no go areas' at all in Karachi and any further failure to protect the lives and property of the citizens may cause an unprecedented disaster," said the verdict, prompted by a deteriorating law and order situation in Karachi.
If any no-go area is found or credibly reported to the court, it added, police and, if required, the Rangers will take a strong and decisive action to eliminate it and the DG Rangers would himself personally lead operation in such areas if needed. A five-member bench of the apex court comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, Justices Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Ghulam Rabbani, Ameer Hani Muslim and Sarmad Jalal Osmani issued the verdict. Justice Chaudhry said it was the responsibility of the state to protect the life and property of citizens. He said law and order affects the economy of the country.
The Supreme Court ruled out ban on any political party and slammed the Sindh government for failing to take effective measures against targeted killings and extortion. "Banning any political party including MQM, against whom all the interveners mostly had voiced complaints, is not within the domain of the court," it added.
He also said that according to Inspector General (IG) Police Sindh, 40 percent police officers had been recruited on political grounds, which is the main hurdle for them to act decisively against the will of their masters. The verdict said the DG Rangers had candidly conceded that bhatta [extortion money] is a normal practice and criminals are collecting bhatta, which if calculated on a daily basis amounts to Rs 10 million.
The court said that the banned outfits and Sunni Tehreek are involved in extortion, while there are allegations of the same offence against Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), Awami National Party (ANP) and MQM. Besides, activists of banned outfits under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 are also indulging in these activities.
"Some of the hardened criminals, who associate themselves with the political parties, do take support of powerful groups/political parties as is evident from the reports of the joint investigation team of various intelligence agencies including the ISI and others," the verdict said. The court warned that if alleged involvement of criminals like Ajmal Pahari, Kamran Madhuri and many others with a political party is established, it may entail serious consequences for the said political party because a political party cannot be formed or operate in a manner prejudicial to the sovereignty or integrity of Pakistan. It observed that police force has been highly politicised and recruitment's have been made on political considerations. "Police officers have been recruited on political considerations and senior officers of SSP, SP and DSP ranks, have been inducted into the force from other organisations without following any rules," it added.
The verdict said that police force being principal law enforcing agency has to be de-politicised and strengthened so that it could perform with full commitment, dedication. Unless there is a de-politicised police, the situation of law and order is likely to become more aggravated, it added.
The verdict said that political face of the city has been taken hostage by militant groups of political parties. "Political parties are penetrated by criminals under the garb of politics and use their party flags and take refuge in the lap of political and ethnic parties to commit illegal activities with impunity," it added.
The verdict said that initiation of suo motu proceedings by the court sent one straight and simple message to an administration working under political pressures: "Take no political pressure from any quarter whatsoever...this was an unstated message, but it was loud and clear," the verdict said. The verdict said the court will keep a watchful eye and strike down all illegal pressures and orders that are brought to its notice. However, it said that it is not possible under constitution and law for the Armed Forces to dismiss the government by adopting extra-constitutional measures.
The verdict said that Karachi is full of arms and ammunition of prohibited and non-prohibited bores including licensed and illicit arms. "The city has to be cleansed from all kinds of weapons by adhering to the laws available on the subject, and if need be, by promulgating new legislation," it added.
It said that DG Nadra and the IGP will set up a special joint cell with sufficient manpower to establish several teams to make on-the-spot visits and identify illegal foreigners so that they may be dealt with strictly in accordance with law. The verdict also said that the IGP shall collect the record and facts about the disappearance or elimination of all police and other officials who took part in the Karachi operations of 1992 and 1996 or were witnesses in ethnic or related crimes and present a report to the court within one month.
"Recent violence in Karachi represents unimaginable brutalities, bloodshed, kidnapping and throwing away dead bodies and torsos in bags," said the review. More than 1,300 people have been killed this year, said the Supreme Court. But the turmoil in Karachi could be far more worrying in the long term, especially to Pakistan's economy.
Karachi, home to ports, the stock exchange and central bank, contributes 25 percent of Pakistan's gross domestic product and is the country's main industrial base. It is also a major transit point for supplies for US forces in Afghanistan and so upheaval here can hinder efforts to pacify the Taliban next door. The violence can scare away foreign investors. Economic disruptions caused by violence causes millions of dollars a day in losses, a problem noted in the review.