ISLAMABAD, Sept 26: The Supreme Court wants collection by prosecution of incriminating evidence against the people involved in heinous crimes in view of a decision taken by the federal and Sindh governments on Sept 4 to launch a targeted operation in Karachi.

In a detailed judgment in the Karachi law and order case heard by a five-judge bench in the city, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry ordered the presiding officers of special courts to decide cases of criminals within a week by adhering to section 19 of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 if these fell within the schedule of ATA as mentioned in the 1999 Sheikh Liaquat case.

“The decisions so taken by such courts should also be communicated to in-charge judges of the Sindh High Court and the Supreme Court,” said the detailed order issued on Thursday.

The court said that what security and safety a citizen of Karachi could expect from police whose files/dockets were full of people accused of being involved in different cases. “One could well imagine why a city like Karachi is in the grip of criminals who are free to commit crime whenever and wherever they like when the documented/declared numbers of absconders are 33,665,” the order said.

Prosecutor General of Sindh Shahadat Awan had informed the court that there were 110,549 absconders/proclaimed offenders in 27 districts of Sindh, including 33,665 in five districts of Karachi.

Had the culprits been brought to book, it would have definitely reduced the crime rate, the order said.

“The entire police force is answerable because their basic obligation is to protect citizens.

“There is another fact which is required to be noted that 6,822 absconders/proclaimed offenders are involved in terrorism cases in Sindh out of which 1,486 are from Karachi,” the order said.

It asked police to accelerate their efforts to arrest the absconders involved in ordinary crimes as well as terrorism during the Karachi operation. The court regretted that it had become hard for the citizens of Karachi to live a peaceful life.