TANVEER AHMED

KARACHI: Sindh Government will take up the SHC-ordered formation of inquiry tribunal to probe May 12, 2007 violence case on coming Monday when summary in this regard is likely to be finalized.

“The inquiry tribunal formation has been delayed because Sindh Government was occupied with the budget session and now we will look into the matter in coming week,” Adviser to the Sindh Chief Minister on Law Murtaza Wahab told Business Recorder, here on Friday, when contacted.

He said he would take the matter on Monday by finalizing its summary. The two-week deadline given by Sindh High Court (SHC) for the formation of inquiry tribunal lapsed on Friday, but it couldn’t be constituted. SHC also directed Sindh Government for constitution of Joint Investigation Team (JIT), but the orders were not implemented in this connection too, despite the lapse of more than two weeks when a division bench gave its verdict in May 12, 2007 violence case.

On September 11, 2018, division bench headed by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro directed Sindh Government to constitute an inquiry tribunal into the cases regarding May 12, 2007 violence and loss of human lives. It also requested Chief Justice SHC to appoint a senior judge to oversee the proceedings of this JIT and tribunal.

Sources at SHC said that copies of the verdict in this particular case have been forwarded to the provincial Chief Secretary, Home Secretary and Advocate General Sindh.

The court has not been informed about any progress on the implementation of its order vis-à-vis May 12, 2007 case, sources said.

Advocate General Salman Talibuddin confirmed that his office has received the order of high court in this case. “We have communicated this to Law Department of Province for its implementation,” Salman said when he was approached on telephone for his views. He said the matter now rests with Sindh Law Department that should be asked about the matter.

May12, 2007 mayhem claimed around fifty human lives in different parts of Karachi in armed attacks on political parties and lawyers’ rallies that were staged to welcome then deposed Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on his arrival but he too could not come out of airport lounge.

The then president Gen Pervez Musharraf (retd), founder of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), then provincial adviser on home affairs Waseem Akhtar who is now Karachi Mayor and others were made respondents in the petition.

SHC ruled that JIT and inquiry tribunal should probe the acts of violence perpetrated on May 12, 2007 and fix responsibility. It also ordered to determine on whose orders the roads were blocked and law and order was deteriorated. It also ordered for ascertaining failure of law enforcing agencies and the steps they took to remove hurdles from roads, which were placed to block the political rallies.