No care for common man: CJP

ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mian Saqib Nisar, observed on Thursday that the state institutions did not care for the common man as they considered political cases more important which they discuss in the evening.

A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar, heard a suo moto case into the killing of 20 people in Balochistan whose bullet riddled bodies were found in Turbat and Buleda, Kech district of Balochistan. The Supreme Court bench directed the Balochistan chief secretary, IG Balochistan and Director General Federal Investigation Agency to submit a comprehensive report about the killings.

According to media, the victims hailed from different districts of Punjab and were brought to Balochistan by human traffickers for their onward journey to Iran by crossing border illegally.

On Thursday, FIA DG Bashir Memon, Balochistan Chief Secretary and Advocate General submitted the reports in pursuance of the court’s order. Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar asked the officers as to whether incidents like Turbat were matter of pride for the institutions, agencies and the nation. The Chief Justice said according to media reports the victims had come from different areas of Punjab. “What is the role of FIA and why such incidents are happening and why the agencies are so ignorant“, the CJP asked.

The DG FIA Bashir Memon appraised the court that the incident happened near Pak-Iran border. He said that although they have limited resources to curb human trafficking, they have launched a crackdown and arrested scores of human traffickers and put them behind the bars.

The Chief Justice observed that the arrested people would get bails adding the courts could only pass orders while the institutions were required to ensure implementation of the orders of the court in true letter and spirit.

The DG FIA informed the court that the Turbat killings were carried out by sectarian and terrorist organisations and was not the case of human smuggling. The Balochistan Chief Secretary submitted that human trafficking is being tackled seriously and all the agencies were coordinating in this respect. He claimed that extremists have been confined to two districts in Balochistan due to action by the agencies.The Supreme Court adjourned further hearing for the first week of February.