Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah said the prime minister should know what the ordinary citizens are going through in Islamabad, as the abysmal law and order situation in the capital of Pakistan is intolerable.
During a hearing of a case relating to the abduction of an additional joint director of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) who returned home after almost a week, Justice Minallah directed an interior ministry official to inform the prime minister about the law and order condition of Islamabad.
During the hearing, Additional Attorney General Tariq Mehmood Khokhar told the court that SECP official Sajid Gondal has returned and investigations are ongoing. He said pursuant to an order dated Sept 7, a detailed briefing was given to the prime minister and cabinet members in a meeting on Sept 8.
The cabinet decided at the meeting to investigate alleged abductions in the capital territory and has also formed a committee in this regard.
Justice Minallah further said that the fundamental rights of the ordinary citizens are being violated and their trust in the criminal justice system of the country is being diminished. He added that crimes such as land grabbing have become a widespread phenomenon and the state departments are reportedly complicit in these crimes.
According to the judge, power elites are involved in these activities, as the public officials who were entrusted to protect the people have themselves allegedly become the perpetrators of these crimes, resulting in the erosion of the rule of law.
The court order added: “This obviously has a profound effect and appears to be a major factor in the erosion of rule of law and failure of the state to protect its citizens. This impunity against crime and violation of fundamental rights is intolerable in a state governed under the Constitution.”
The court directed Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Mirza Shahzad Akbar, along with high-level police and capital administration officials, over the deteriorating law and order in the city in the next hearing.
SECP official goes missing
Earlier this month, a former journalist and joint director of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), Sajid Gondal, went missing in Islamabad. According to the family of the SECP official, Gondal’s car was found in front of the National Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) on Park Road, located in Chak Shahzad. However, Gondal was returned after a few days.
After his release, he reportedly told police that he was in the ‘northern areas of Pakistan for a recreational tour with his friends’. Gondal said he was not able to contact his family to tell them about his whereabouts because his mobile phone was off, reported 92 News. Gondal will now record his statement before a magistrate under Section 164 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).After the disappearance of four days, Gondal tweeted, saying that he had returned safely. “I am back and safe, and I am thankful to all friends who were worried for me,” he had tweeted.