KARACHI: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday ordered authorities to immediately issue the notification for the posting of Inspector General of Sindh Police and also sought a written report over the delegation of powers to the Rangers, DawnNews reported.
An apex court bench led by Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani resumed the hearing relating to the implementation of the court's earlier order over Karachi's law and order situation, during which the statement of Sindh Rangers' chief from a day earlier was discussed.
The director general of Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, Maj-Gen Rizwan Akhtar had complained a day earlier of limited powers enjoyed by the paramilitary force in violation of the apex court's Oct 2011 verdict.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Jilani remarked that it was shocking that the province's police department had no permanent Inspector General and the Director General of Rangers Sindh was without powers. Justice Jilani wondered as to why the DG Rangers termed his powers as "on paper".
He added that the statement of the Rangers' chief gave the impression that there was lack of cooperation between different law enforcement agencies.
Moreover, Justice Khilji said that according to the Rangers' claim they arrest criminals wanted for murder and hand them over to the police who later only register cases of illegal arms possession against the arrested persons.
The counsel for Rangers told the court that the force was provided with five stations but no powers and added that suspects in high-profile cases were arrested but due to lack of powers, proper investigations were not conducted against them.
He added that during the past six month, 500 people arrested by the Rangers were released by local courts.
Meanwhile, acting IG Sindh Iqbal Mahmood invited the bench's ire after stating that there was improvement in the law and order situation of the city and that "all was well".
Chief Justice Jilani asked what kind of improvement the acting IGP was referring to when over a dozen people were killed being in the city on a daily basis.
Expressing its disappointment over the government's failure to appoint a permanent police chief for the province, the court ordered authorities to immediately issue a notification in this regard.
Meanwhile, the bench also rejected during the hearing a report submitted by the Sindh government over the illegal occupation of land in the province and expressed dissatisfaction over the report related to the posting of SSP Rao Anwar.
Moreover, the court also sought a written report over the delegation of powers to the Rangers and adjourned the next hearing of the case until March 21 (tomorrow).