PADF Welcomes Suo
Moto Notice by SHC
Chicago, Illinois: The Pakistan
American Democratic Forum (PADF), a pro-democracy grassroots
organization, has welcomed Sindh High Court’s suo
moto notice of May 12 happenings in Karachi. The suo-moto
notice was taken by Chief Justice Sindh High Court Sabihuddin
Ahmed.
“This is unprecedented in the history of Pakistan
”, PADF President Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Toor said. “Inspired
by the example of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,
Pakistani Courts are beginning to rectify the failing writ
of the Pakistani state.”
Analysts see it as one more setback for Gen. Musharraf who
had recently declined to institute an inquiry commission
and had advised the nation instead to move on with their
lives.
Taking cognizance of its own registrar’s report about
the incidents on May 12, The Sindh High Court converted
it into a constitutional petition, and issued notices to
senior police and Sindh government officials. Subsequently,
an inquiry committee has been formed.
For the last one year both The Pakistan American Democratic
Forum (PANA) and the US-wide coalition of pro-democracy
group known as the Pakistan American National Alliance have
been calling for suo moto action by the apex court.
In October, 2006, PANA had sent a letter to Honorable Iftikhar
Muhammad Chaudhry, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
of Pakistan, urging him to “conduct a suo moto inquiry
of the recent military action in Balochistan, which has
triggered a crisis of confidence among the provinces and
between the provinces and the federal government”
as well as to “instruct the Prime Minister to immediately
convene a special meeting of the Council of Common Interest
as well as the Inter-Provincial Coordination Council to
devise a new, just and fair framework for redistribution
of powers among the federal and provincial governments.”
Just two weeks ago, the Pakistan American Democratic Forum
had demanded a judicial inquiry into the May 12 Karachi
massacre by a commission comprised of the judges to oversee
this suo moto inquiry.
Pakistani-Americans are delighted that CJ Sabihuddin Ahmed
has appointed a seven-member bench consisting of Justice
Sarmad Jalal Osmany, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Justice
Mushir Alam, Justice Azizullah Memon, Justice Maqbool Baqar,
Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Ali Sain Dino Metlo
to hear the petition.
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