Turbat killings: SC seeks human smuggling reports from FIA, Balochistan government

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court directed on Thursday the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general and the Balochistan government to submit a report on human smuggling.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar heard the suo motu case regarding the killing of 20 people being smuggled to Europe via Iran.

Turbat

Turbat — In November 2017, twenty bullet-riddled bodies were discovered in Turbat, Balochistan. The victims were residents of Punjab who were attempting to reach Europe illegally via Iran.

During the proceedings, the FIA chief informed the court of lack of resources and tools to investigate such crimes, to which the chief justice replied: “If you do not have the resources, accept that you cannot do anything. Should we remain silent after hearing complaints of lack of resources?”

The chief justice remarked that the FIA DG should admit failure over human smuggling. “Preventing a crime before it happens is the real skill,” the chief justice asserted.

Chief Justice Nisar asked him to provide assurance that such an incident won’t happen again, adding that the judiciary was ready to lend its shoulder in support.

According to the FIA DG, the 20 individuals were killed by a terrorist outfit on the basis of their ethnicity. He added that an international human smuggling gang was operating in Pakistan, Iran and Turkey.

CJP takes suo motu notice of Turbat killings, seeks report in three days

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has sought a detailed report on the incident from IG Balochistan and DG FIA

The chief secretary of Balochistan informed the apex court that all agencies were in contact over human smuggling and due to their efforts the militants had been confined to two districts.

The court then directed the provincial government and FIA to submit new reports on the issue.

The hearing of the case was adjourned until the first week of February.