QUETTA: The Supreme Court has sought a response from the Federal Government in the Balochistan law and order case on 1st June, Geo News reported.
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry continued hearing the Balochistan law and order and missing persons’ cases at the Quetta Registry on Wednesday.
Principal Secretary of Prime Minister Khushnood Lashari and Defence Secretary Nargis Sethi and other government officials were also present during today’s proceedings.
The chief justice remarked that the government is not following Article 148 of the Constitution despite repetitive reminders. While addressing Khushnood Lashari, the Chief Justice said that the situation in the province is critical but the government is not taking any steps according to the Constitution.
If the prime minister is unable to take action the Constitution will come into act and emergency could be one of the options, the CJ said.
People are blaming Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI), Frontier Corps (FC) and other law enforcement agencies (LEAs), the CJ said. 'Sectarian killings are rampant in the province and police is helpless but no one is giving answers.'
Defence Secretary said that she discussed the matter with DG ISI and he is willing to brief the court. On this, the CJ said that time for the briefings was over and issued directions for the production all the missing persons.
If the authorities failed to present them before the bench, the court would issue an appropriate order in this regard, the CJ said.
PM’s Principal Secretary Khushnood Lashari said that the government has initiated Aghaz-e-Haqooq-e-Balochistan Package on which the CJ asked him to visit the province to monitor the progress and said that peoples’ homes are burning.
The CJ said the court can give up all important assignments to resolve the Balochistan issue.
Justice Khilji Arif asked the advocate general that how they can resolve the Balochistan issue as it is a burning matter. He remarked that we are trying to control this fire by playing our role.