The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued notices to federal government, Sindh government, IGP Sindh, DG Rangers Sindh, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Karachi, DIG Investigation Capital City Police (CCP) Karachi, Nazim City District Government Karachi (CDGK), Chief Fire Officer (CFO) and Incharge Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) in case of Ashura procession blast and the subsequent torching of over 3,000 shops by miscreants in Boulton Market and Light House area.
A division bench of SHC comprising Justice Mushir Alam and Justice Munib Akhtar heard the petition of Syed Iqbal Kazmi, a representative of Human Rights Commission for South Asia (HRCSA), who appeared before the court in person, and prayed to the court to take investigations into its own hands.
The petitioner submitted his apprehension about misuse of funds, which are allocated or collected by the federal and provincial government for the rehabilitation of wholesale markets and prayed to the court to direct the government to compensate the victims of Ashura blast and arson in light of article 38 of the constitution. He also prayed to the court to play pivotal role in distribution of compensation among the victims of the Ashura tragedy.
The petitioner also prayed the court to take charge of the investigation into Ashura blast in which 43 people were killed and above hundred injured and subsequent arson due to which more than 3,000 shops of wholesale markets. The bench, however, after hearing the petitioner, ordered issuance of pre-admission notices to the respondents for a date to be fixed later by the office of the court.