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Summary The Supreme Court resumes suo motu hearing on target killings in Karachi.
The larger bench has reportedly rejected the Sindh government plea that the hearing be shifted to Islamabad. A five-member bench led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is hearing the case at the SC Karachi Registry. The media have been given permission to enter the premises of the Supreme Court Registry. The Sindh Bar Council and the Karachi Bar Association have filed an application to be a party in the case.Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, appearing for the Sindh government, said that ethnic violence has increased in the city following the restoration of the commissionerate system. He said many people from varied ethnicities are living in Karachi illegally. He requested the court to shift hearing to Islamabad as it had put strain on the provincial government for law and order. Upon this, members of various political parties present in the court objected, saying the presence of the SC larger bench in the city has restored peace to a great extent. They pleaded that the SC should not shift the hearing venue. The parties that requested to be party in the case included ANP, JI and Baloch Ittehad in addition to Karachi Bar Association and Sindh High Court Bar Association. The SC rejected the plea of Pirzada to shift venue for the case. Babar Awan is expected to present his arguments as a counsel for the federal government. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry remarked that the court could meet on the Eid day if need be.On the first day of the hearing yesterday, the Attorney General had submitted inquiry reports of the FIA and the Special Branch. The CJ declared the reports insufficient, directing preparation of a comprehensive report.The IG Sindh had also submitted his inquiry report before the court. This report too was rejected as it didn’t have details from intelligence reports.
