ISLAMABAD, April 10: Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed Khan took his first suo motu notice on Friday over the inadequate facilities in the country to combat the coronavirus.
The chief justice has sent notices to the attorney general, the health secretary and the interior secretary to respond in the matter.
Justice Ahmed has asked the three respondents to provide details of what has been done so far to contain the spread of the virus.
On April 1, the chief justice had also heard the matter of the release of under-trial prisoners amid the virus’ outbreak. A petition had been filed against the prisoners’ release ordered by the Sindh and Islamabad high courts.
“Under what law can suspects and accused be released?” the CJP had asked while hearing arguments. He noted that it was already very difficult to arrest the accused in cases.
“The police are already busy with the coronavirus emergency. How can we let criminals be out on the roads as well?” he had asked.
He said robberies have already started taking place in Karachi soon after the release of prisoners. The due process of law will have to followed before such a thing can be allowed, the chief justice had ruled.
The Supreme Court then ordered over 500 prisoners – temporarily released to slow the spread of coronavirus – to be re-arrested, as it overturned the high courts’ judgments. An exception was however made in the case of prisoners accused of minor crimes.-Agencies
