SHC seeks details of govt action to implement SC orders for reforms

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the provincial law officer to file comments about the steps being taken to implement the Supreme Court’s guidelines to reform the investigation of cases of sexual assaults on women.

It issued the orders on Thursday while hearing the petition filed by Kainat Soomro and others, who submitted that the top court had directed the provincial government and other authorities to introduce reforms in the investigation process of gang rape cases, but the directives were not being complied with.

The petitioners contended that rape victims were unable to get justice due to the existing faulty process of investigation. The petitioners, who also named the provincial police chief and health secretary as respondents, asked the court to direct them to take immediate steps to improve investigation of such cases.

They further asked the court to direct the authorities to establish a Rape Crisis Cell in each district of the province so that victims could get immediate medical, financial and legal assistance.

The additional advocate general sought time to seek instructions from the relevant quarters as to what progress has been made following a meeting led by the chief secretary, in which several decisions were taken to implement the SC order.

The SHC’s division bench headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi directed the provincial law officer to submit a detailed report on the implementation of the top court’s order and said that it expects that the needful would be done for the purpose.

The bench then adjourned the hearing till May 24. The CS had earlier informed the SHC that all the provincial government departments, including health, home, police and prosecution have been directed to implement the Supreme Court’s guidelines to reform the investigation of cases relating to sexual assaults on the women.

PML-N senator’s plea

The SHC directed a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz senator to cooperate with the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) which is conducting an inquiry against her.

The senator, Dr Raheela Magsi, had filed a petition in the court against the initiation of the inquiry which is looking into the awarding of contracts without fulfilment of the relevant codal formalities and alleged misappropriation of millions of rupees in the procurement of furniture for the DCO secretariat and district nazim offices.

Magsi said that she was being victimised after 12 years by the ruling provincial party [PPP] soon after the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and other PML-N leaders visited her residence. However, the investigation officer submitted that aside from the suspicious contract awards, ACE was also conducting an inquiry against her for illegally purchasing 274 acres of agricultural land in her and her family members’ names and causing a huge loss to the national exchequer.

He said the investigation was under way and the matter had been placed before the Anti-Corruption Circle-I for approval to register an FIR against the petitioner. He requested the court to direct her to cooperate with the investigation. The petitioner assured the court that she will. A division bench headed by Justice Aftab Ahmed Gorar adjourned the hearing till April 26.