Karachi-registry-PPI-670
A view of the Supreme Court's Karachi registry. — Photo by PPI/File

KARACHI: During Wednesday’s hearing of the case pertaining to the implementation of the apex court’s earlier order in a suo motu case on Karachi’s law and order situation, Justice Jawwad S Khwaja questioned the possibility of transparent polls in Karachi in what he called an atmosphere of fear prevalent in the city, DawnNews reported.

A Supreme Court bench was hearing the case pertaining to the city’s law and order situation at its Karachi registry.

During the hearing, Justice Khawaja remarked that people’s lives were not safe in the city, adding that how could transparent elections be made possible while citizens lived in fear.

In his remarks, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain expressed his lack of confidence over the performance of police in Karachi.

Additional Inspector General (AIG) of Sindh Police Iqbal Mehmood informed the court that 2,300 people were killed in target killing incidents in 2012.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sindh, Niaz Khoso stated that people were afraid of and not ready to register cases and testify in existing cases.

He added that peace could be restored in the city within a month’s time if laws pertaining to witness protection and arms control were legislated.

In 2011, the Supreme Court had given its detailed order in the Karachi law and order case after the chief justice had taken suo motu action on the security situation in the city.

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