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Saturday, November 02, 2013
SC orders door-to-door checking of illegal weapons in Karachi* CJP says drugs business is running right under the nose of DG ANF
* Orders Customs to investigate how many of the 19,000 missing containers were packed with arms
KARACHI: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday ordered Rangers and police to conduct door-to-door checking of illegal weapons in Karachi.
A three-member bench of the court, consisting of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad S Khawaja and Justice Gulzar Ahmad, heard the case regarding implementation of the court’s verdict in the Karachi law and order case, at the Karachi Registry.
The SC further ordered Customs officials to check weapons brought legally into Karachi, after which Rangers and police should also carry out a similar investigation to determine for what purposes the weapons were brought into the city.
The CJP remarked that drug business is running right under the nose of Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) director general (DG).
The attorney general (AG) stated before the court that the federal government has decided to conduct a joint operation against arms and drugs smuggling in Karachi. The joint operation will be started within 15 days on the basis of reports of Customs, intelligence agencies and other institutions, he added.
The court said in its interim order that Customs authorities should investigate how many of the 19,000 missing containers were packed with arms.
The court’s order said that intelligence agencies should work under one agenda of restoration of writ of the government in Karachi.
During the hearing, the provincial government of Sindh submitted a detailed plan outlining the ongoing operation in Karachi.
The Sindh advocate general also requested the court to allow the Sindh government to impose curfews in parts of the city where an operation would be carried out to recover illegal weapons; to which the court replied that such an authority was only with the government.
Furthermore, Attorney General Munir A Malik submitted a report by the federal government detailing the steps to prevent the smuggling of weapons and drugs.
The court was told that Rangers checkposts have been established at entry and exit points of Karachi, including Hub Chowki and Toll Plaza, to keep an eye on smugglers.
In his written report filed to the Supreme Court, the ANF DG laid out a plan of action for the operation and indicated the affected areas in the metropolis – Sohrab Goth, Banaras and Lyari, affirming that the force would go to any extent the cleanse the city of drugs.
The bench expressed its satisfaction over the new action plan.
The CJP said, “Thank God! Work is being done now… We just want the rule of law and nothing else.”
The court also directed anti narcotics and finance secretaries to extend cooperation to the Sindh government. The court ordered the interior secretary and revenue secretary to cooperate with the provincial government and present a report on implementation of court’s orders at the next hearing.
Earlier in the day, SSP Investigation East Junaid Shaikh was suspended for not arriving at the court for hearing. agencies
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk