Govt, not courts, ought to stop rights violations: SC

ISLAMABAD: While hearing a case about filing fake cases against citizens and poor investigation by the police, the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the attorney general, advocate general, Islamabad, and provincial advocate generals to submit a solid plan for public to get rid of police culture in the next hearing. Justice Jawwad S Khawaja remarked that stopping violations of basic human rights of the public was the responsibility of the government, not the court.
The two-member bench headed by Justice Jawwad heard the case.Justice Jawwad said that departmental action was taken against low ranking police personnel but no disciplinary action had been taken against any officer of Police Services of Pakistan in 70 years. He said that an SHO should be dismissed if he commits the same mistake after restoration from censure punishment. He said that several hurdles could be removed if police prepared online daily report which could bring the situation of every moment on record.
Justice Jawwad said the prosecution department had sent over 500 complaints to the IG Punjab in connection with poor investigation of police but these fell on deaf ears. “If we want to survive in the world as a living nation, then we will have to change this system,” he said.
When the court started the hearing of the case, Prosecutor General Punjab Ihtesham Qadir appeared and submitted a report that recommendations for bringing basic changes in the police system had been prepared and meetings had been held in this connection.Justice Jawwad said he should not tell the court about meetings as these are all paperwork and he should inform the court about action taken in this regard.
During the hearing, a woman, Ishrat Rasheed, made a complaint that a lawyer of Attock, Tahir Javed Awan had taken Rs100,000 fee for appearing in a case and made her sign on a white paper and prepared a power of attorney on these papers and transferred her land to his own close relative. She said that he took three million rupees cheque from her and then he filed a water theft case against her.
On this, Justice Jawwad said that the court could go to her village for investigation. While addressing the woman, to MNAs, MPAs, ministers and chief minister and tell them that she is being deprived of her right. He asked her why she had given the accused Rs3 million cheque. He said if she wanted the court to take charge of 850 police stations of Punjab.
Advocate General Punjab Hanif Khattana also appeared in the court. Justice Jawwad asked him how the police culture would change. He said the government was not performing its duty properly. He said the basic rights of the citizens have been written in the Constitution but practically the situation is different.