Tuesday, August 23, 2011

SC takes suo motu notice of Karachi bloodshed

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Monday took suo motu notice of ongoing target killings in Karachi.

The director of the Human Rights Cell of the Supreme Court directed the news directors of eight television channels to submit by today (Tuesday) all the relevant material containing information over target killings in Karachi.

The directive was issued after the CJP gave order on a human rights case forwarded by the cell containing press clippings about an appeal made by Pakistan Awami Tahreek Chairman Dr Muhammad Tahirul Qadri.

The chief justice in his short order wrote, “CDs/DVDs from different channels be collected.”

Meanwhile, Tariq Asad advocate moved an application over the Karachi unrest.

He said that target killings continued in Karachi for the last one year, but the quarters concerned failed to control the situation.

He said that according to a data 1,981 people were killed in the city last year, 122 in January, 133 in February, 130 in March, 144 in May, 122 in June, 135 in July, 176 in August, 71 in September, 173 in October, 91 in November and 84 in December.

According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan report, 177 women and 78 children were included in these figures, he added.

He said that the target killings increased in January this year and over 75 people were killed in reprisal attacks.

During the current spate of violence, dozens of political activists fell prey to unknown gunmen while the culprits managed to escape, he added.

Besides, extortionists had demarcated Karachi to collect money but they often resort to violence due to differences among them, he said. app