Supreme Court Justice Athar Minallah delivered a strong legal opinion emphasising accountability within law enforcement. He argued that officers involved in extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances deserve the harshest punishment under the law.
During the hearing of a case reviewing the death sentence of a Frontier Corps (FC) soldier convicted of killing university student Mohammad Hayat in Balochistan, Justice Minallah opposed the majority opinion that reduced the punishment to life imprisonment. He insisted on upholding the death penalty, calling the crime a “gruesome, brutal, and shocking” custodial killing of an innocent citizen in Turbat.
Justice Minallah described such acts as grave violations of the Constitution and fundamental rights. He stated that giving impunity to law enforcement officials who commit such crimes severely undermines the rule of law, particularly in a society already troubled by enforced disappearances and abuse of authority. He wrote, “The rule of law collapses when law enforcers assume the roles of judge and executioner. That is exactly what happened in this case.”
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He further observed that military courts should not handle civilian cases, asserting that doing so erodes public trust in judicial fairness. He emphasised the need for accountability and integrity within paramilitary institutions, remarking that the FC, as a uniformed force, must protect citizens not harm them. The firearm issued to the soldier, he added, was meant for defence, not for violence against those he had sworn to safeguard
