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Supreme Court issues detailed verdict in Karachi law & order case
KARACHI: Supreme Court of Pakistan's Karachi Registry has issued a detailed verdict in Karachi Law & Order Case, Geo News reported.
The apex court in its detailed verdict has ordered the constitution of s fact-finding commission to look into the report with regard to smuggling of illegal arms into the country in shipping containers.
The former Custom Member, Ramzan Bhatti, will head the commission, which would ascertain as to who was/were responsible for allowing seafaring vessels and motorboats loaded with illegal weapons berth at Karachi port.
In the verdict issued, the Supreme Court also sought suggestions for corrective measures, appropriate lawful action, and strict penalization to halt this influx of firearms that were subsequently used to perpetrate organized violent crimes.
The top court also ordered that the commission must also determine the authenticity of the reports that a shipload of guns and ammo arrived at the Karachi port during the tenure of former minister for ports and shipping.
"Reportedly the customs authorities are charging 100 percent duty at Karachi Port Trust and Port Qasim but it was not being passed on to the treasury, thus the court orders investigation into this massive damage to the national exchequer", the order said.
Earlier, the Supreme Court resumed the hearing of the case for the third consecutive day here.
A five-member larger bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heared the case.
During the proceedings the bench summoned former Custom Collector over the issue of transportation of arms.
The CJ questioned the Director General Rangers Sindh, Major General Rizwan Akhtar that from where the weapons come from, it doesn’t fall from the sky.
On this, the DG Sindh Rangers replied that the issue of missing 19,000 arms containers came into limelight many years ago. He further told that those containers arrived and were opened during the time period of former minister for ports and shipping.
The same weapon is being used in Karachi and the city is burning due to the same reason. Moreover, different agencies are investigating about that ammunition, DG Rangers told.
He apprised the bench that local, German and American 9mm pistols are used in the targeted killings, and that the arms sent to the factories of Peshawar and Darra Adam Khel were imported.
Courtesy www.geo.tv