The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued a notice on Monday to the Advocate General Sindh on a petition seeking an inquiry into the targeted killings of over 450 people, the removal of no-go areas and the operation for the recovery of illegal weapons in the city. Human Rights Commission South Asia’s representative Syed Iqbal Kazmi, referring to the 450 targeted killings of political activists in the city during the last six month, submitted that Article 9 of the Constitution guaranteed protection to citizens, while Article 4 assured that every individual had right to be dealt with in accordance with the law. He submitted that 445 people had lost their lives due to political enmity from January 1 to June 27 and the government had failed to protect the lives of the citizens.

The petition was filed by Syed Muhammad Iqbal Kazmi, a social worker and newly appointed representative of the Human Rights Commission for South Asia (HRCSA) citing the federal interior secretary, Sindh chief secretary, Pakistan Rangers Sindh director general, provincial police officer and investigation in-charge of sixteen police stations of Karachi division as respondents. The petitioner maintained that target killings in Karachi rose to an alarming level as 445 people fell victim to it in just six months of 2009 (January - July) and the respondents failed in saving and protecting the lives of citizens a responsibility entrusted to them by virtue of their appointment in police department. The Human Rights Commission South Asia has pleaded the court to take the notice of the negligence by the both government and law enforcement agencies towards spree of target killing in Karachi in recent months. The petitioner has also filed a list of 22 police stations in the court where most of the target killings have occurred. The petitioner has also pleaded the court to bound the government for taking action on the reports prepared by the intelligence agencies on the issue. The respondents were made to Federal Interior Secretary, Sindh Chief Secretary, Director General Pakistan Rangers (Sindh), IG Sindh Police, CCPO Karachi, In-charges Investigation of Police Station (PS) Shah Faisal, PS Shah Faisal Colony, PS Awami Colony, PS Kokhrapar, PS Landhi, PS Orangi, PS Bilal Colony, PS Model Colony, PS Malir City, PS Saudabad, PS Nazimabad, PS Liaquatabad, PS Gulberg, PS Aziz Bhatti, PS Al Falah, PS Mominabad, PS New Karachi, PS Temoria, PS Korangi, PS Jamshed Quarter, PS Gulistan-e-Johar, PS Sachal and PS Sharifabad. The target killings were reported within the jurisdictions of aforementioned police stations.