KARACHI, Jan 30: The Sindh High Court on Monday issued notices to the interior secretary, home minister, provincial police and Rangers chiefs and the SHOs of 22 police stations in a petition seeking an inquiry into targeted killings, removal of ‘no-go areas’ and an operation for the recovery of illegal weapons in the city.

A division bench headed by Justice Maqbool Baqar directed the respondents to submit their comments on the petition and put off the hearing to Feb 15.

Petitioner Syed Muhammed Iqbal Kazmi, a civil rights campaigner and representative of the Human Rights Commission of South Asia, submitted that that there was no let-up in the incidents of targeted killing even after the verdict of the Supreme Court on its suo motu proceedings on the security situation in the city.

It may be noted that Mr Kazmi’s earlier petition on the issue was disposed of by the SHC in December last year following the order of the apex court on the suo motu proceedings.

The petitioner moved a fresh application against the continued spree of the targeted killings and prayed to the court to direct the respondents to ensure protection to the life and property of citizens.

He submitted that over 402 people, including 26 lawyers, had been killed since the order of the SC and the law-enforcement agencies had failed to perform their constitutional duties.

The petitioner stated that Article 9 of the Constitution guaranteed protection to citizens, while Article 4 assured that every individual had right to be dealt with in accordance with the law.

He submitted that a number of people had lost their lives due to political enmities, while the government had failed to protect the life of the citizens.The petitioner prayed to the court to take notice of the negligence by both government and law-enforcement agencies towards the targeted killing spree in the city for the past many months.

He also prayed to the court to direct the government to take action on the reports prepared by the intelligence agencies on the issue.

The respondents included the SHOs of the Shah Faisal Colony, Awami Colony, Kokhrapar, Landhi, Orangi, Bilal Colony, Model Colony, Malir City, Saudabad, Nazimabad, Liaquatabad, Gulberg, Aziz Bhatti, Al-Falah, Mominabad, New Karachi, Taimuria, Korangi, Jamshed Quarter, Gulistan-i-Johar, Sachal and Sharifabad police stations.

Plea for witnesses’ protection

The same bench issued notices to the advocate general and others in a petition seeking legislation for the protection of prosecution witnesses.

Mr Kazmi submitted in his petition that the criminal procedure code did not provide protection to the witnesses from undue pressure and influence of the defendants, which was the main reason why people did not come forward to testify in trial proceedings.

He said that the targeted killings cases were disposed of under ‘A’ class as the prosecution witnesses did not dare to turn up against accused persons due to a lack of protection.He impleaded the interior and home secretaries and the provincial police chief as respondents and prayed to the court to direct the government to enact legislation for the protection of prosecution witnesses and till then issue an order for the respondents to protect the life and property of a witness during and after the trial proceedings.

The bench put off the hearing to a date to be later fixed by the court office.