Peshawar High Court puts govt on notice in petition about target killings

PESHAWAR (Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday put on notice the federal and provincial governments in a writ petition about the target killings of citizens, mostly Shias, on sectarian grounds and legislation for religious harmony in the country.A two-member bench comprising Justice Nisar Hussain Khan and Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan issued notices to the federal and provincial governments. They were asked to explain through written replies the questions raised in the writ petition about legislation for religious harmony through a bill and compensation to those killed in the target killings equal to Diyat amount.Akhunzada Muzaffar Ali, a member of the Shia community and brother of the late Anwar Ali Akhunzada, who was secretary general of Tehrik-e-Jaffaria Pakistan and was assassinated in a target killing incident on sectarian grounds on November 23, 2000, filed the writ petition.The petitioner prayed in the petition to direct the prime minister to initiate action and bring the interfaith harmony among all the sects of society, enact law through the Parliament to regulate the affairs, issues and conduct of religious sects, their religious practice, proceedings.The petitioner requested the court that the federation may be directed to ban the political parties working in the name of religion or faith within the meanings of Article 17 of the Constitution if found involved in the activities against the integrity and solidarity of Pakistan. Muhammad Muazzam Butt, counsel for the petitioner, submitted that federation had failed to protect the life of the citizens and was thus under legal obligation to compensate the families of the victims of the sectarian violence by paying compensation equivalent to Diyat amount forthwith.He argued by not making an expressed fair policy the federal government has committed negligence.He said the federation was required to adopt an expressed policy and to promulgate the law in accordance therewith, which has not done so far, and such an act has cost the lives of great number of citizens in Pakistan.The counsel said the Shia community was entitled to social justice and fair play in the society. He submitted that the petitioner was aggrieved by the violence committed against the Shia community and had the same feelings for the innocent Muslim from other religious sect.Mauzzam Butt further argued that since 1979 when the Jihad against the now defunct USSR after its attack on Afghanistan started and the government patronised it, the religious extremism had spread throughout the country and the Shias have become the victim of target killings. The petitioner also provided data of the Shias killed in the target-killings in the country during 1997 to 2013./129