KARACHI, Oct 31: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry observed on Thursday that recent improvements in the law and order situation in Karachi would not sustain unless the city was cleansed of illicit arms and ammunition, drugs and black money.

He said black money generated through illegal weapons and drugs trade and evasion of customs duty benefited only anti-social elements which created law and order problems in the city and disturbed economic life of the citizens.

A three-judge Supreme Court bench comprising the chief justice, Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja and Justice Gulzar Ahmed had taken up implementation of the court’s judgment in the Karachi law and order case at the Karachi registry of the Supreme Court.

The judges came down hard on the chairman of Federal Board of Revenue, director general of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) and senior officials of the customs department, Maritime Security Agency (MSA) and Pakistan Coast Guards (PCG) for their failure to curb the smuggling of illicit weapons and contraband drugs and narcotics into the city.

The authorities must not tolerate the smuggling of these items. The court also ordered that evasion of duty be stopped within seven days.

The FBR chairman has been directed to submit a report containing details of arms and weapons imported by dealers over the past three years through sea and dry ports across the country.

The court rejected a report filed by the ANF and asked it to provide details about actions taken against big drug barons.

It was also not satisfied with a report submitted by Attorney General Munir A. Malik about a plan for joint action devised by the MSA, PCG, ANF, customs department and other agencies to curb the smuggling of illegal arms and drugs into Karachi.

Referring to certain reports placed on record, the chief justice said black money was generated by evasion of customs duty and other levies and it was used by criminals for anti-social activities. “Extraordinary measures are required to stop the smuggling of weapons, drugs and other contraband goods.”

The chief justice said that a large quantity of Iranian petrol and diesel and drugs and other contraband items were being smuggled into Karachi and it could not be done without the consent of customs authorities.

The court said these illegal items conveniently available in huge quantities in the local market only benefited the criminal elements. The customs department, ANF and other law-enforcement agencies should assist police and Rangers to cope with the issue.

The court referred to a report of a one-man commission appointed by it which said that missing Nato containers were opened and all goods taken out.

Raja Muhammed Irshad, a lawyer, informed the bench that thousands of containers carrying weapons had gone missing before reaching Afghanistan. He said the former FBR chairman had initiated an inquiry into the matter, but it appeared that now the government policy had changed.

The chief justice said there were other sufficient facts to confirm that arms and ammunition were being smuggled into Karachi despite the presence of law-enforcement agencies. “It is unfortunate that forces like ANF, PCG, MSA and customs are not willing to cleanse Karachi of illegal arms and drugs as directed by the court time and again,” he regretted.

Meanwhile, the court disposed of an application filed by the Mohajir Qaumi Movement against alleged no-go areas in the city. The court said the affected people could go to their homes and if they faced any difficulty they could always report the matter to police.

The hearing was adjourned to Friday.