Supreme_Court_AFP_7_670
Supreme Court of Pakistan — AFP Photo

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a short order in the Balochistan law and order case, DawnNews reported.

A three-judge bench of the apex court said that the province’s administration had failed to implement its orders. The order also stated that the constitution was not being implemented in the province and that the court’s instructions were not being followed.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said that the court had been urging the authorities to maintain law and order but no results had been produced to that effect.

Moreover, the chief justice ordered the Frontiers Corps (FC), the federal government and the provincial administration to submit their replies by Wednesday.

Before today’s hearing commenced, a report on the province’s law and order situation was submitted to the court by the FC.

The FC in a written statement submitted at the court said it had conducted “internal inquiries” and found the group of missing people “was not held in the custody of FC”.

It said in many cases insurgents dressed in FC uniforms committed “high profile acts of terrorism and heinous crimes... thus bringing (a) bad name to this federal organisation”.

The Chief Justice said he was not satisfied with the FC's reply and directed the paramilitary and civilian officials to appear again before the court on Wednesday.

“There is apparent failure of the executive machinery to control law and order,” he said.

The report said that since January 1, 829 people had died in ‘terrorist’ attacks in the province whereas 429 people, including 59 officials from the FC, had been ‘murdered’.

In his remarks during the hearing, Justice Khawaja said that complaints related to the FC should be investigated thoroughly.

FC’s counsel Raja Irshad told the court that eight enquiries were being conducted by different lieutenant colonels and that various aspects of the investigation required further probe.

During the hearing, the chief justice remarked that Balochistan had already experienced a constitutional breakdown.

The hearing was adjourned until July 25.

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