ISLAMABAD, Sept 20: The Supreme Court has decided to call former chief minister and president of the Balochistan National Party (BNP) Sardar Akhtar Mengal on Sept 27 to hear his point of view regarding the law and order situation and human right violations in the province.

The decision was taken on Thursday by a three-judge Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain which had taken up a petition on the breakdown of law and order in Balochistan.

It was filed by former president of the Balochistan High Court Bar Association ((BHCBA) Hadi Shakeel.

Mr Akhtar, son of prominent Baloch leader Sardar Ataullah Mengal, had expressed his desire to join the proceedings on Balochistan imbroglio.

It was Sajid Tareen, vice-president of the BHCBA, who had communicated to the court the desire of Sardar Mengal to provide assistance in the matter relating to missing persons and recovery of dead bodies.

Presently Akhtar Mengal is in London.

The court ordered Interior Secretary Khawaja Siddiq Akbar to provide adequate security to the BNP chief on his arrival and make arrangements for his stay and eventual departure from Islamabad.

The secretary is required to keep contact with Sajid Tareen and also inform the SC registrar about the arrangements made for Mr Akhtar’s security.

The court also appointed four amici curiae (friends of the court) for assistance in the issues of Balochistan. They are: Pakistan Bar Council Vice-President Akhtar Hussain, Supreme Court Bar Association President Yasin Azad, Muneer A. Malik and M. Zafar.

The court decided to take up the case on Oct 8 in Quetta after hearing Akhtar Mengal’s point of view in Islamabad. A separate application filed by Talal Bugti, son of slain nationalist leader Nawab Akbar Bugti, will also be taken up the same day.

The court directed the chief secretary and provincial administration to continue to submit weekly reports on steps taken to maintain law and order and recover the missing persons.

Meanwhile, Zaid Hamid, a security consultant, filed a petition requesting the apex court to appoint a commission to investigate the real fact behind the murder of Nawab Akbar Bugti. He alleged that foreign intelligence agencies were involved in destroying peace and tranquillity in Balochistan.