Petition filed in SC seeks armed forces to quell Karachi violence

Supreme Court of Pakistan. — Photo by AP KARACHI: A petition seeking the handing over of Karachi to the armed forces was filed in the Supreme Court’s Lahore registry on Thursday, DawnNews reported. The petition, filed by one Rana Ilumddin, stated that to ensure the security of the innocent citizens of Karachi, it had become necessary to call the armed forces in aid of the civil authorities to help flush out criminals. The petition further requested that armed forces should be called in for a period of three months to restore law and order and re-establish peace in the city. The petition stated that Karachi’s security situation was worsening and that was reflecting badly on the country’s economy. The petition requested the court to direct the government to hand the city over to the armed forces to eliminate the criminal elements. This was the second such petition to be filed in the Supreme Court in January 2011. One petition, filed by Advocate M. Tariq Asad, requested the court to direct the government to impose a state of emergency in Karachi and eliminate criminals with assistance from the armed forces.