KARACHI, Feb 25: The Supreme Court disposed of on Monday a petition of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement seeking review of its order relating to delimitation of constituencies in Karachi when the party withdrew it after the Election Commission of Pakistan informed the court that the delimitation process could not be undertaken in the absence of a fresh census. At the outset of the proceedings on the implementation of the court’s judgment in the Karachi law and order case, a larger bench comprising Justices Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Khilji Arif Hussain, Sarmad Jalal Osmani, Gulzar Ahmed and Athar Saeed decided to take up two review applications of the MQM filed by its leader Dr Farooq Sattar against the court’s order for delimitation of constituencies in the city.

Barrister Farogh Naseem, the counsel for the MQM, initially submitted that the SC order was liable to be reviewed. He said the court in the Watan Party case had held that delimitation was to be undertaken strictly in accordance with the law.

But the court said it had not issued any order in this regard; it only made observation about the feasibility of carrying out such an exercise.

The bench recalled that the ECP secretary had earlier stated that there was no hurdle in carrying out the delimitation exercise and assured the court that the commission would expedite the work. The secretary had also conceded that fresh boundaries of the constituencies could be drawn, it said.

Farogh Naseem said the MQM was not aggrieved by the SC judgment because the court had observed that such an exercise should be undertaken strictly in accordance with the law.

The ECP’s counsel said the process of delimitation of constituencies could not be undertaken without a fresh census.

The bench disposed of the MQM’s petition with an observation that since the court had not issued any order and only made observations about the delimitation of constituencies there was no question of review of its order.

LOOTING AND MUGGING: The Supreme Court expressed grave concern and displeasure over incidents of looting and mugging during traffic jams in Karachi and observed that it had become a routine that street criminals deprived motorists and commuters of their cash, cellphones and other valuables during gridlocks. Coming down heavily on the provincial and city police chiefs – IG Fayyaz Leghari and AIG Iqbal Mehmood – the bench regretted that hundreds of people were being robbed during traffic jams at key points of the city in the presence of policemen.

The judges observed that such incidents were possible only with the connivance of law-enforcers. “They act like silent spectators, while the criminals go on looting spree during traffic jams,” a member of the larger bench said.

Justice Khilji Arif said it had become a menace and people had been left at the mercy of criminals. He said the criminals disappeared after looting the commuters, but police did not bother to chase and arrest them.

Justice Anwar Jamali observed that the police department did not maintain computerised record of criminals and most of them had been found involved in criminal activities again after being released.

He said one of the reasons for criminals getting bails was non-production of their criminal records before courts.

The IG Sindh said the police department was facing shortage of personnel, adding that the Election Commission had imposed a ban on fresh recruitment in view of the coming general election.

The bench reminded him that the apex court had issued the verdict on the breakdown of law and order more than a year ago and asked why he had not taken up the issue of recruitment earlier.

The bench observed that the ECP had rightly slapped the ban on new recruitments because the elections were round the corner.

The court directed the IG to submit a report on the measures taken to avert the incidents of looting during traffic jams in the city.

The hearing was adjourned to Tuesday.