ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to hold the hearing of the Balochistan target killings case in Quetta and summoned the chief secretary, IGP, advocate general and attorney general on March 20.
During the proceedings, Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry suggested convening a jirga in consultation with Sardar Attaullah Mengal, Khair Bakhsh Mari and other tribal leaders to tackle the worsening situation in Balochistan.
A three-member bench was hearing petitions against the targeted killings, kidnappings for ransom and overall law and order situation in the province, and the assassination of the wife and daughter of Mir Bakhtiar Domki MPA in Karachi.
Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Maulvi Anwar-ul-Haq submitted classified reports on the behalf of ISI, MI and GHQ regarding the worsening law and order situation in Balochistan. The court accepted spy agencies’ plea for not making their reports public.
The AGP told the bench that the military authorities had requested the court to allow them in-camera briefing, like the proceedings on the targeted killings in Karachi. The chief justice observed Balochistan issue was very serious and questioned why the federal government was not addressing the situation in province, as he asked the Balochistan chief minister to take interest in the matter.
Justice Khilji Arif Hussain said the happenings in Balochistan were a reminder of the 1971 tragedy. He said 180 million people should play their role to resolve the issue.
The court has decided to hear the case in Quetta registry on March 20 subject to the availability of bench.
Earlier, former chief justice Balochistan High Court Amir-ul-Mulk Mengal, while appearing as amicus curie, briefed the court on the Balochistan issue. He said the government’s writ was very weak in the province and a high-level forum should be formed to resolve the matter, but unfortunately the government was not doing anything on the subject.
He said the schools in the province had been shut down, which would further hurt the already deplorable education level in the province. Chief Justice Chaudhry asked him to give his suggestions in writing.
Regarding the killings of Baloch MPA Mir Bakhtiar Domki’s wife and daughter, the court directed the Sindh Police to continue the investigation and submit report on the next hearing.