Dera Bugti has been turned into no-go area: CJ
12 July 2012
Dera Bugti has been turned into no-go area: CJ
QUETTA: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Wednesday observed that Dera Bugti had been turned into a no-go area, adding had the local governments system been adopted in Balochistan, problems of the people would have been resolved. He also directed the Balochistan Home Department to produce complete data of mutilated bodies recovered in the province within a day.
A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar and comprising Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, was hearing the missing persons and Balochistan law and order cases.
As the proceedings resumed for the third consecutive day on Wednesday, the chief justice asked the former deputy commissioner Khuzdar if the Frontier Corps (FC) had informed the district administration about the action conducted in the Tootak area of Khuzdar in 2011. The former DC replied that they were not informed by the FC before conducting the action.
Expressing displeasure, the chief justice remarked that nobody was aware about the activities of the FC, including the commissioner, deputy commissioner and Levies. He said that the court convened and issued directives but none of these orders were ever implemented. The chief justice also remarked that the FC was bound by the law to seek prior permission from the civil administration before conducting any action.
Justice Jawwad S Khawaja said work was not being carried out in accordance with the law, adding that the Constitution of Pakistan had punishment for not implementing the law.Regarding the recovery of mutilated bodies, the CJ remarked that it could still not be determined who dumped the bodies of people and why, despite the fact that police, Levies and other law enforcement agencies personnel were deployed in the province.
Addressing the FC lawyer Raja Irshad, the CJ observed that the FC was conducting activities without taking the concerned administration on board, directing him either to produce missing persons or the commandants of FC. At this, the FC lawyer noted that the paramilitary force was not tasked to killing people and throwing their bodies in abandoned places, adding that the FC was on record for having no missing persons in its custody. Later, the FC lawyer pleaded for time till today (Thursday).
Justice Iftikhar directed Balochistans Home Secretary Naseebullah Khan Bazai to produce details of the bodies recovered in the province.
Agencies add: The chief justice said the miserable state of affairs in Balochistan was caused by the incapability of FC and Tehsildar. He said that after todays (Thursday) inquiry, the court might issue orders for the Tehsildars arrest for negligence in performing his duties.
The chief secretary told the court that politics and local bodies systems had added to the backwardness of the province. Enough evidence of involvement of the Frontier Corps in picking up every third missing person in Balochistan is available, the chief justice said.
The chief justice said that landmines should be removed from Dera Bugti and peace should be restored to the area. The Supreme Court also rejected the report of CID on the murder of the nephew of Chief Minister Balochistan Nawab Aslam Raisani, Nawab Akmal Raisani, and ordered the IG Balochistan to appear before the court today (Thursday). The court said one year had passed since the incident and no progress had been made so far.
Meanwhile, DCO Khuzdar said 10-12 groups were involved in cases of abduction in the city. Authorities produced Mufti Abdul Wahab, who was recovered from Hazar Ganji, before the court. The chief justice reiterated that if detained individuals had done anything unlawful, a proper procedure should have been adopted in dealing with them.