Suo motu to end sectarian violence?

Suo motu to end sectarian violence?

Every week brings news of sectarian violence in Pakistan. Shia Muslims are targeted from one end of the country to other, yet the violence continues unabated. Making the situation worse is the lack of action from the government as distrust between the country’s minorities and minority sects keeps growing.

In a rare move, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan has called for the Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry to take suo motu action against the incidents of sectarian violence as the “government has failed to protect its citizens.”

While the call from the PTI leader is a welcome one, it remains to be seen how the chief justice will respond to it.

The problem of sectarian violence is not one that can be resolved in a matter of a few weeks or months. A well thought-out plan is required to oust this menace from the Pakistani society.

Will the CJ’s suo motu take suo motu notice of the situation?

If he does, will it help bring the situation under control?

Should all issues pertaining to the basic rights of the citizens of Pakistan be resolved by suo motu notices and the following actions?

How can the government step in to maintain peace and harmony among the minorities and members or minority sects?

Dawn.com invites its readers to share their views and suggestions…

 

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24 Responses to “Suo motu to end sectarian violence?”

  1. nasir says:

    yes it will surly make a difference, first it will shows his interset and sympathy to innocent people. CJ should prove that he is not instrument of agencies to Genocide of shia

  2. mazhar says:

    Real problem is politics in the name of Islam and Pakistan, remove the word islami from name of Pakistan, amend constitution, starting from objective resolution, declare government in Pakistan to be secular, provide financial, cultural and linguistic rights to regions and nations who joined Pakistan. This is the only long term solution for survival of Pakistan.

    • Raja says:

      I agree. Competitive religious jingoism is also extremism in one form. It leads to calling one lesser in piety/ purity than the other in the eye of the same God. This is absolute non sense and the society is bound to go in for a eventual civil war one way or the other.

  3. Mohammad says:

    Collective effort by all persons is required. Killings of minorities must be stopped under all circumstances.
    It is the duty of the government to protect its citizens.

  4. Sikandar Ali says:

    All problems have solutions and if all Pakistani are willing to get rid then there is no big deal. Before 1980 there wasn’t any Shia-Sunni problem in Pakistan. I remember my Sunni friends they were distributing Niaz during month of Muharam and still they do. We love each other. If we are sincere with our country, then as Pakistani nation we should help the government about those people who comes from different countries and living here without any legal document. We all should see who all are living around us and should take notice of their activities. This is our moral duty to inform to the concern government officials. We have to think the followings:-

    1. When it started
    2. Who created and identify the main source
    3. Identify the real culprits
    4. Who is financing
    5. Deal with form hand and don’t let them go without proper punishment

  5. farooq ali says:

    Suo moto is covered by our constitution hence it is a remedy to eradicate evils of nation but the case of secterian violence is deep rooted in our history and regional politics it is not so easy to solve just by the activation of superior courts the best but a long term solution is by way of educational reforms and improving the mindset of our younger generations by teaching them the art of tolerance and to live in close harmony with people of other religion , sects and cultures and to tell them that human society is now a global culture.

  6. tariq says:

    Dear IK sir,
    If you think it is this violence against shias is wrong then take this issue on agenda of your party and convert this into a mass movement. This is the way great leaders succeed. Expecting from a single persons in an insane majority is a waste of time. Do it yourselves.

  7. Ajaya K Dutt says:

    In a country where chief justice of most prosperous state, Punjab, blames Hindus for Bombs and violence committed by Taliban; where a Human rights prominent lawyer, Asma Jahangir, says that there are no abduction, rape and forcible conversion of Hindu Girls; whereas she knows that many of the victims are minor; where a “commission” set up by president of the country “finds no evidence” of persecution of Hindus in Pakistan; the rot is very thorough. Every now and then there is a ray of hope from a lone voice, but that is a flicker in a dark night.

  8. syed M N says:

    No problem can be solved if there is no will and sincerity. This is the present condition of Pakistan.

    Education, health, employment and economy are no doubt important but most pressing problem is law and

    order. If tere is no fear of law of punisment, there will be cheating in exams, adultration in foods, looting

    and killing for easy gains. CJ cant do much.

    Any thing can be sacrificed for the rule of law and protection of life and property of citizens, BUT IF THERE

    IS WILL.

  9. Arbab Zahid says:

    Both the CJ and Govt have lost credibility. They should step down on moral grounds …

  10. Manomoni says:

    It is impossible to run a country on suo moto basis ! It is the responsibility of the elected government to protect its citizens..If suo moto solves all the ills of the country why we need an elected government?

  11. rashid says:

    I don’t have any hope from CJ. I think we should all unite to the call of MQM and stand against the sectarian killings.

  12. Muhammad Asif says:

    Mr. I. Choudhary does not stand any where on moral ground. In any western country, the CJ would have gone by himself. He caused the most dissatisfaction amongst masses by taking a suo-moto on any single issues but minority killings.

    With all my sympathies with missing persons’ families, I humbly ask CJP if killing innocent shia’s is less a crime than abducting innocent persons from their home by agencies. A suo-moto is long due on him. I don’t know, what he’s waiting for?

    • mosa master says:

      hundreds of Shia’s has been killed in past few months, including lawyers, judges, doctors and many common people.. why??? just because they belong to certain sect?? And this CJ is not taking any action… this is totally biased behavior…

  13. Safia says:

    We live in a country where SC, Parliament abd Government are more interested in writing a letter to Swiss authorities than taking notice and “real” action against the violent and vicious secretarian killing.
    Apparently, CJ is more interested in targeting PPP govt and have historically remained silent on major issues. The sad part is not a single politician has even condemned the whole episode of shia killing. Isn’t this an easy way out…
    Only taking notices will not help, we need to look into the reason and eliminate the forces who create such hatred. Instead of arguing over blasphemy law, petrol prices, corruption etc etc… why cant we address the real issue.

    • Irfan baloch says:

      our courts are responsible for setting free known terrorists who threatened to continue the violence even while in courts.
      when our courts offer prayers for the world’s most wanted terrorist Osama and free mass murderers like Malik Ishaq then there is little hope from suo motu action

  14. Aamir says:

    In Pakistan, one big problem is people’s condemnation of killing of terrorists as well as somehow defending murder of innocent civilians by terrorists. In short, some responsible people end up siding with killers. Why so much requests for a Suo Muto notice? He should have taken a notice himself by now, after all he is even concerned about sugar prices. The comments above are correct, that he is more interested in bringing down PPP government, then dealing with TTP.

  15. jari says:

    Chief Justice should have done this a long time ago. He has not taken any action against shia killings, against killing of an Ahmadi Teacher in Rabwah at the hands of police, has not taken any notice of inaction on the case of purpetuators of May 2010 attacks on Ahmadi Mosques. But now is time to get involved to get country back on track of justice and peace. Peace Lovng wold will love his involvement. Once Jimmy Carter said in an interview, ” It is difficult to sell peace but much more easy to sell terror and war”.

  16. NASAH (USA) says:

    The judiciary under CJ Chaudhry is apparently more interested in chasing the PPP than the TTP.

    Its iron fist treatment of Gilani’s son Musa Gilani and kid glove handling of CJ’s son Arsalan shows how ‘unbiased’ it is and where its main focus lies.

  17. Salman Ahmed says:

    In any decent country where the government was sincere, I believe that a SC action would have tremendous effect.

    However, lets now look at Pakistan – the CJ took suo moto action in good faith and with the best intentions of the country at heart, on the Karachi situation and of course the Baluchistan situation.

    With zero interest from the government, both these have had limited impact. If the government had cooperated, all of these actions would have had material impact.

  18. Naseer says:

    This is a defining moment for our country. Should we support what is right and just or play politics.
    On principle, Chief Justice should take suo moto notice as he has taken on so many matters affecting common citizen, like illegal arrests, missing persons in Baluchistan, etc.

  19. Agha Ata says:

    Yes. CJ’s suo motu can make much difference. At least it will help concerned people and departments to get serious, make concrete plans, work by dead lines given by CJ, and get the ball rolling,

  20. kanwal says:

    First, he HAS shown his power in removing an elected prime minister using his powers. Second, its his duty to understand and solve what is inherently so wrong with the judicial system that all efforts of police get wasted as soon as the suspected killers reach court. So it is clear he has a role to play which he is not playing right now. Not even the killing of a judge could pursuade ihim to take suo moto. So before this indifference makes him look suspicious and / or incompetent, he must make sure he shakes the government on this too. All the basic human rights issue may not be solved by suo motos, but if something as blatant and callous threatens to become a routine, this should be addressed by the strongest possible action that can be opted by the respective pillars of state. For the judiciary, it is suo moto. So be it.

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