Worsening law and order situation in Balochistan: CJP asks CS, IGP to submit report

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a detailed report from Chief Secretary and Inspector General Police Balochistan on growing incidents of lawlessness in the province. A three-member bench led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing a petition on Balochistan law and order situation and targeted killings filed by Balochistan High Court Bar Association President Hadi Shakeel Ahmed.
The Chief Justice observed that the situation in the province was critical as every day lawyers and government officials were being picked up and nobody was aware of their whereabouts. He expressed annoyance over growing incidents of abduction for ransom and targeted killings, saying that the task to maintain law and order fell under the jurisdiction of concerned chief police officer, but he (IGP Balochistan) preferred to stay in Islamabad.
At the outset of hearing, the Chief Justice took serious exception to the absence of Chief Secretary and IGP Balochistan. The Advocate General Balochistan apprised the bench that both the officials were not present in the court due to bad weather. However, he admitted that there was an increase in the number of abduction for ransom cases while the incidents of targeted killings and missing persons had reduced to some extent.
The Chief Justice said that Police had failed to maintain law and order situation. He further observed that abduction of an Advocate, Hamza Shiwani, and murder of a trader, Zohaib, took place in a congested vicinity of Quetta under the nose of police. "It is time to establish the writ of government in Balochistan because worsening law and order situation in the province does not mean to lay down weapons," the Chief Justice remarked.
During the hearing, the bench rejected provincial top legal officer's prayer to conduct hearing of the case at the Quetta registry. Meanwhile, the bench issued directives to IGP Sindh to submit a report on the killing of wife and daughter of Balochistan MPA Mir Bakhtiar Domki. They were shot dead near Gizri flyover in Karachi.
Justice Khiliji Arif Hussain expressed annoyance over the IGP Karachi, saying that although he was exempted from appearing before the court because of investigations into the Mir Bakhtiar Domki family murder case, he failed to show any progress in the case. The court adjourned the hearing till March 22.