KARACHI, Jan 25: A tribunal entrusted with investigating the causes of the violence in Karachi between Nov 30 and Dec 2 will begin proceedings today (Monday), despite the fact that an official request for information and evidence from members of the public has gone mostly unheeded.

An official said the tribunal, headed by retired Justice Ali Mohammad Baloch, issued a public notice through the provincial home department saying that it would welcome cooperation from the public in tracing the causes and instigators of the three days of violence.

More than 40 people were killed and over 200 wounded when violence hit the streets of Karachi on Nov 30. A large amount of private and public property was also damaged.

“Only three people have approached the tribunal in response to the notice so far,” said an official. “Since the tribunal has not received any funds, it was not in a position to publish advertisements on its own. The home department issued the public notice in order to meet the purpose,” said the official.

He said that though the tribunal has received little attention from members of the public so far, that could change if people are attracted to the proceedings, which could last several days before a conclusion is reached.

In December 2008, the Sindh government announced that it was setting up the tribunal to investigate the three days of violence, which was suspected to be an attempt to spark ethnic riots in the city. Other than the 40 dead and 200 wounded, 50 shops and an equal number of vehicles were destroyed, and 35 houses were set on fire.

The government record, however, states that 34 people were killed and 200 were injured, while 17 shops, 20 vehicles and 10 houses were gutted. Though the government and various political forces were able to restore calm after three days, the masterminds and culprits behind the violence remained unidentified.

According to its terms of reference, the tribunal will probe the circumstances and causes that led to the violence. The terms of reference are: to identify groups and elements responsible for spurring and instigating the violence; to assess the state of preparedness on the part of law-enforcement agencies and the quality of response shown by them and to suggest effective measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents in the future.

The government says it wishes to set a precedent with the establishment of this judicial inquiry, in order to deter any future attempts to challenge the state’s writ.

“The outcome of the inquiry will definitely help the government take action against the culprits,” said Shazia Marri, the Sindh Information Minister. “We truly believe in an independent inquiry and expect the same will be acceptable for all political parties. The judicial inquiry into the incidents suggests the government’s approach towards transparency,” she said.

This inquiry tribunal is the second such initiative by the provincial government, as it had earlier appointed Justice Nadeem Azhar Siddiqui of the Sindh High Court to probe into the April 9, 2008, violence, which killed at least 11 people (including those who were burnt to death in an arson attack on Tahir Plaza) when violence erupted in the city after groups of lawyers clashed at the City Courts. That incident occurred a day after the manhandling of former federal minister Dr Sher Afgan Khan Niazi in Lahore.

The inquiry tribunal for the April 9 violence, however, failed to meet the desired objectives, as the motives and culprits behind the day-long events remain unknown. The government appears confident, though, that a fresh probe will not meet the same fate.

“There is no doubt that the tribunal needs cooperation from institutions and individuals to reach its conclusion,” said Ms Marri. “If the people, including the victims, cooperate with the tribunal and the institutions concerned provide the required stuff and assistance, the probe will definitely return positive results and set an example for the future.”