Supreme Court again castigates governments over Balochistan
By: Nasir Iqbal
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court expressed annoyance again on Wednesday over failure of the Balochistan and federal governments to ensure constitutional rights to citizens by arresting the breakdown of law and order in the province.
“We may observe that it is the constitutional responsibility of governments to ensure protection to people, failing which the consequences under the law and the Constitution are bound to follow sooner or later,” Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said in a strongly-worded order dictated after an extended hearing.
The bench comprising the chief justice, Justice Gulzar Hussain and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed is hearing a petition filed by the Balochistan High Court Bar Association on the law and order situation and human rights violations in the province.
The court referred to its Oct 12 judgment in which the constitutional authority of the government of Chief Minister Nawab Aslam Raisani was questioned and repeated its displeasure over the failure of his government to recover the missing people and curb incidents of kidnapping for ransom.
“The misery of the families of the missing persons are increasing day by day,” the court regretted and said that despite the passage of time, the executive authorities of both the federal and provincial governments had failed to protect the life and property of citizens.
“It is a matter of realisation of duties under the Constitution and if some people consider that they are performing in accordance with the law then they are doing so at their own risk and cost,” the chief justice warned and reminded that the Constitution had its own way to get itself implemented in letter and spirit.
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