Karachi unrest: why gangsters allowed to turn certain areas into 'no-go' areas: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday directed provincial police chief and director general of Rangers to explain why gangsters were allowed to turn certain areas, including Lyari, into no-go areas. A larger bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry resumed the hearing of Karachi law and order implementation case at its registry in Karachi.
Other members of bench were Justice Jawad S Khwaja, Khilji Arif Hussain, Amir Hani Muslim and Ajaz Afzal Khan. The court grilled the police officials on the killings of Arshad Pappu belonging to notorious Lyari gang, his brother and confidant on 17th March. It also asked why the law enforcing agencies failed to ensure peace in Lyari. To which, Shahid Hayat Khan (DIGP) told the court that police and even Rangers were unable to enter Lyari.
The CJP was visibly irked by the statement of the DIG. He said: "It means that police were surrendering; we could not expect such statement from such police officials." He went on to say that the court had directed that there must be no 'NO-GO AREAS' at all in Karachi and if there was any, the IGP, and if necessary the DG Rangers must conduct the operation into such areas. The court said: "The statement made by the police officer is not acceptable because it would mean that everyone is free to take law into his hands. It is the duty of police to enforce the writ of law and protect citizens, and rangers to control law and order". The Counsel for the rangers submitted a report stating that the law enforcement agencies had no information about any no-go areas in the city, particular in Lyari. He submitted that whenever such information was brought into rangers' notice, they conducted operations in such areas.
The court rejected the report of the rangers and directed it to place on record a specific report about the statement made by police regarding the existence of no-go area in Lyari. In another report, the rangers informed the court that during last one year 65 operations, including targeted, cordon and search operations had been conducted in Lyari alone and 258 suspects arrested and handed over to police. Rangers report said that it would carry out patrolling activity to check and monitor latest situation in the area.
The CJP said that a report submitted by the rangers negated the statement of police regarding presence of no-go areas in city. The court ordered the provision of a copy of the report submitted by the rangers to police and directed the IGP to hold meeting with DG rangers at the Chief Secretary office and produce a joint statement.
The bench expressed anger at knowing that despite its orders, no permanent IG was appointed. In-charge chief secretary Arif Ahmed Khan informed the court that permanent IG would be appointed in due course. The court inquired in charge chief secretary about the appointments and postings of 14 high officials in the police department on a contract basis as it had earlier directed the provincial government to cancel all such appointments contrary to the Section 14 of the Civil Servants Act. The chief secretary submitted that the Chief Minister asked the provincial law officer about his opinion regarding that matter. The chief minister was told that such appointments were in accordance with the Section 14 of the Civil Servant Act. He said that all such officers on the contract had been appointed keeping in view the public interest. However, the court noted that in police, retired persons should not be appointed as it bred disappointment and demoralised regular police officers.