Pak Supreme Court slams govt for failing to quell Karachi violence

Pakistan's Supreme Court today came down heavily on the country's government over its failure to check violence and bloodshed in Karachi where more than 100 people have been killed this month.

Observing that the executive had failed to protect the life, liberty, dignity, property and freedom of the public in Karachi, the court issued a notice to the attorney general to appear before it tomorrow and submit a report of events occurred over the past.

"I have gone through the noted facts, reported in the print and flashed in the electronic media, perusal whereof presents a bleak and dismal picture of bloodshed, arson, kidnapping, abduction for ransom, widespread violence, illegal collection of money (Bhatta) from traders, which prima facie are violative of certain articles of the Constitution," Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry observed.

Reports say that nearly 110 people have been killed in Karachi this month in targeted attacks. Three hundred lost lives in July.

The court also constituted a five-member special bench headed by the Chief Justice and issued notices to the attorney general, chief secretary of Sindh and others to appear before the bench tomorrow.

The Chief Justice asked the attorney general to submit a comprehensive report about the incidents. The court directed that the report be based on material collected from federal and provincial law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

The court further ordered that the relevant officials should also provide the court with the number of persons who had been killed/injured in the last one month.