SPY EYES

The Sindh High Court chief justice late on Thursday revoked a ban on riding motorcycles in Karachi just hours after Interior Minister Rehman Malik announced that the government was banning motorcycles in Karachi and Quetta for one day (today) in view of “serious security threats” on the first day of the Shia holy month of Muharram.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik told a press conference on Thursday evening that motorbikes would not be allowed on roads from 6am to 7pm in Karachi and Quetta today, adding that no one would be exempted.

Malik said his ministry had received information that motorcycles would be used in terrorist attacks.

“The decision to keep bikers off the road has come on the heels of intelligence reports that terrorists are hatching plans to carry out attacks using motorcycles,” Malik said.

Malik also said the government was considering shutting down mobile phone services in Karachi and Quetta. “A decision to this effect will be made on Friday morning,” he added.

Moreover, markets in both cities had also been directed to conduct business only between from 10am to 5pm on Friday (today). “No market in both cities will be allowed to open before 10am and after 5pm,” he said.

However, a few hours later the Sindh High Court Bar Association moved an application before the SHC CJ, asking the top judge of the province to annul the order as it is in violation of the basic rights of citizens.

The CJ admitted the application and ordered the interior secretary, advocate general and the provincial police chief to appear in court at 11am today.

Rehman Malik has come under severe criticism for ordering suspension of mobile phone services across the country “for security reasons” on more than one occasion. Cellular services were first suspended on Eidul Fitr and then on Eidul Azha, prompting protests from citizens and cellular companies.

Critics say that the interior minister is coming up with such unprecedented measures to conceal his inefficiency and incompetence, as instead of cracking down on terrorist networks, the Interior Ministry and its subordinate agencies are resorting to infringing the rights of citizens.