Secret agencies not superior to civilians: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction over the report submitted by the intelligence agencies in missing prisoners’ case, terming it unsatisfactory and an inadequate.

The displeased apex court sent a stern message to Military Intelligence (MI) and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) saying, “You need to take this out of your mind that you intelligence agencies are superior and others are inferior”.

Despite lecture of Raja Irshad, the counsel of ISI and MI, the Supreme Court remained unsatisfied with the replies submitted to the court by the agencies in the Adiala missing prisoners’ case.

A three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry remarked that the replies submitted to the court do not validate under which law the civilians were abducted by the secret forces.

Chaudhry raised a question, “Who gave you the right to hound people? You are so insensitive to the human loss that the families of the missing persons have suffered lately because of you. This is a big allegation against you (ISI and MI), you abduct people and after some days, their abandoned bodies surface”.

While addressing the intelligence agencies, the Chief Justice called them a firebug, saying they have set Balochistan on fire. Expressing his annoyance over the counsel, he said, “We ask you time and again and you always tell us stories. Are we here to listen to your stories?”

In his view, the intelligence agencies have become insensible to the issues, referring them as the biggest violators of the country’s law and order.

The counsel informed the court that high-ups in the duo organizations were mulling over the problems seriously as this is a burning topic of the present time.

He told the court that foreign elements involved in inculcating terrorism in Balochistan were active and the agencies cannot work with their eyes closed to the situation.

Upon which, the chief justice said that whatever the agencies do should be done within the limits of law as the agencies are superior to law of the land.

In the meantime, the court expressed satisfaction over the report submitted by the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief secretary about the health condition of the prisoners. It stated that the report gives hope that the remaining prisoners will brave their illnesses.

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Posted by Faisal Farooq on Mar 1 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.