KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the interior ministry, the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) and the provincial home authorities to block the computerised national identity cards (CNICs) of all absconders in order to secure their custody.

A three-judge bench, headed by Justice Mushir Alam, issued these directions while hearing a Sindh government appeal challenging the Sindh High Court’s order to release an accused person after setting aside his conviction.

The court also directed them to get the bank accounts of the absconding accused persons frozen at the earliest and asked the attorney general and advocate general to submit compliance reports.

The apex court observed that the absconders were making full-throated speeches about respecting the judiciary, but they were not appearing before the courts to face cases.

Absconders talk of respecting judiciary but do not appear before court, says SC

The judges took serious exception to the state of affairs in which the law enforcement and prosecuting agencies were handling matters relating to the arrest of the absconders.

In the criminal acquittal appeal, Sindh prosecutor general Shahadat Awan submitted that the drugs court had convicted Shaukat Masih, but the Sindh High Court had set aside the trial court order. The provincial government had challenged the SHC order in the apex court seven years ago.

Initially, the Supreme Court had summoned the respondent but when he did not turn up the court issued warrants for his arrest.

Marine pollution

Meanwhile, the same bench directed the managing director of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board (KWSB) to furnish a report about measures to retrieve the encroached land of Mehmoodabad treatment plant and resettlement of the occupants.

The three-judge bench of the Supreme Court was hearing a set of petitions against increasing marine pollution and disposal of untreated sewage and industrial waste into the sea.

The court also sought a progress report about repairing and renovation of the dysfunctional treatment plants in the metropolis.

The KWSB chief contended that around 80 per cent renovation of and repair work on Treatment Plant-I and Treatment Plant-II (TP-I and TP-II) had been completed in compliance with the court directives. He added that 92 acres of land belonging to TP-II in Mehmoodabad had been encroached upon.

He was of the opinion that the plant could be made functional within shortest possible period on a temporary basis even if 42 acres of the occupied land were retrieved and made available.

The KWSB managing director further informed the court that the process of retrieving the remaining 50 acres of land from illegal occupants and providing them with alternative space would take time.

The bench directed him to file a progress report regarding the repair or renovation of the dysfunctional treatment plants as well as the measures being taken to recover the 92 acres of occupied land of TP-II and resettlement of the occupants.

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2017