SC orders arrest of proclaimed offenders in terrorism-related cases

KARACHI: The Supreme Court’s monitoring judge for anti terrorism courts on Saturday directed additional IG Karachi to ensure arrest of proclaimed offenders/absconders against whom perpetual warrants have been issued by Anti-Terrorism Courts.
Presiding over the meeting regarding security of ATC judges, backlog of cases pending at ATC and improving the working of ATC, SC Judge Justice Amir Hani Muslim directed IG prison to ensure that custody of under trial prisoners shall reach the concerned ATC.
The monitoring judge directed the AIG Karachi to personally ensure that the expert reports, FSL reports or chemical reports reach Anti-Terrorism Courts along with charge sheet beside he shall also ensure that the case property is produced in Anti-Terrorism Courts as and when directed by them.
The monitoring judge ordered that process serving agency shall ensure that the process issued by the courts are served and in case of any default, the AIG (Legal) shall be responsible. He directed that Anti-Terrorism Courts shall examine their dormant files after every two months to ensure progress in the case.
The meeting took notice over absence of the Prosecutor General Sindh in criminal related matters in Supreme Court and Sindh High Court as well as in the meeting and observed that his act has far reaching effects on the issues relating to criminal prosecution of sensitive cases, lead to the inference that he has hardly any interest in the office. The monitoring judge observed that competent authority should examine as to whether prosecution can be headed by a law officer of such stature.
The meeting was informed that E-Court, which was to be created, would be shifted to the present location of the Anti-Terrorism Courts and by June 30, the newly renovated/constructed Anti-Terrorism Courts will be handed to Register, High Court of Sindh by the Works & Service Department.
The monitoring judge directed the IG Sindh to provide 15 police mobiles to investigation wing within one month to improve their working.
The meeting noticed that more than 150 FIRs have been registered in different Anti-Terrorism Courts within Sindh, in which challans were not submitted by the Investigating Officers. In this regard, the A.I.G. (Legal) was directed to collect the relevant FIRs from the Registrar of the Anti-Terrorism Courts and shall ensure that the challans are submitted in the aforesaid FIRs within two weeks from today.
The Chief Secretary Sindh informed the meeting that the construction of proposed Anti-Terrorism Courts within the premises of Central Prison is in the offing and assured that the proposed plan for construction of the Anti-Terrorism Courts within the premises of Central Prison is materialized immediately. The monitoring judge directed the Chief Secretary to expedite the matter. It was observed that proposed construction of Anti-Terrorism Courts would facilitate the speedy trial of the cases before the Anti Terrorism Courts besides safety and security of the under trial prisoners and reduction of huge expenses of their transportation to Anti-Terrorism Courts.
The meeting was attended by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, monitoring judge of Sindh High Court, administrative judge of ATC Bashir Ahmed Khoso, Chief Secretary Mohammad Siddique Memon, special home secretary Riaz Hussain Soomro, IG Sindh Ghulam Haider Jamali, IG prison Nusrat Mangan and others concerned officers.