IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PAKISTAN 
 
 
(Original Jurisdiction) 
 
 
 
 
Present:  
 
 
 
Mr. Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, HCJ. 
 
 
 
Mr. Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja  
 
 
 
Mr. Justice Khilji Arif Hussain 
 
 
 
Mr. Justice Amir Hani Muslim 
 
 
 
Mr. Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan 
 
CMA No.1652/2013 in SMC No.16 of 2011 
 
 
On Court’s Notice: 
 
Mr. Qasim Mir Jat, Addl. A.G. Sindh 
 
 
 
 
Mr. Zafar Abbas Bokhari, DIG (West), Karachi 
 
 
 
 
Mr. Amir Farooqi, SSP (Central), Karachi. 
 
Date of Hearing: 
 
29.03.2013 
 
ORDER  
 
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, CJ. The Daily EXPRESS TRIBUNE published a 
story on March, 23rd, 2013 under caption “WHERE LAW ENFORCERS FEAR TO TREAD: 
THE ENTRY FEE FOR THESE SPOTS OF KARACHI MAY BE YOUR LIFE”.  The publisher 
had also appended a sketch; contents whereof have shown “NO-GO AREAS ONLY FOR A 
PARTICULAR ETHNICITY IN TIMES OF ETHNIC VIOLENCE” AND “COMPLETE NO-GO 
AREAS BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE OF MILITANTS OR GANGSTERS”. The report and 
the sketch are hereby made part of the instant proceedings and instead of making reference 
of its contents it is considered appropriate to reproduce the same in extenso.  
“Shortly after the armed forces launched the Kalosha II operation in South 
Waziristan back in 2004, the crocodiles lazing in the murky natural pond in 
Manghopir got new neighbours. Suddenly, they weren’t the most dangerous 
residents of the area. 
Embedded in the increased influx of Mehsud tribesmen coming to Karachi were 
militants who settled in Pakhtun-dominated areas of the city, attempting to blend in 
unnoticed. They would soon go on to disrupt the life of the city’s residents – 
including the crocodiles at Hazrat Khawaja Hassan’s shrine, which was closed for 
over a month following the bomb attack in 2010 on Abdullah Shah Ghazi’s shrine. 
“First, the hunters – the law enforcers – used to only get hurt when they dared to put 
their hands in the den of the lions, the militants. Now it seems as if the lions have 
come out of the den and are stalking the hunters themselves,” DSP Qamar Ahmed 
told The Express Tribune. 
The militants, including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) members, now have an 
iron grip over parts of the city, including Sohrab Goth, Manghopir and Ittehad 
Town. Over the years, they made increasingly brazen attacks, including one on 
Sohrab Goth police station on January 29 this year 
 
First, the hunters – the law enforcers – used to only get 
hurt when they dared to put their hands in the den of 
the lions, the militants. Now it seems as if the lions have 
 
2
come out of the den and are stalking the hunters 
themselves 
DSP Qamar Ahmed 
SHO Ashfaq Baloch of the Manghopir police station admits that it is difficult to 
impose the writ of the state in his jurisdiction and that standard operating 
procedures followed by law enforcers elsewhere in the city have to be bent – very 
drastically. 
“When a killing occurs somewhere else in the city, a lone constable usually hops 
onto a motorcycle and speeds off to the scene of the crime. Here, we can’t think of 
doing that unless we have a death wish,” he said. “We have to make sure our 
weapons are loaded. Then an entire team, headed by me, gets into a police mobile. 
Only when we pacify the criminals that we haven’t come to apprehend them can we 
advance safely to retrieve the body.” 
SHO Baloch added that he prefers not to send the officers on duty to pick up a body. 
“We often wait for a body to turn up at one of the hospitals and then head there to 
question the family and any eyewitnesses.” What about raids and patrols in the 
area? SHO Baloch shakes his head. 
DSP Ahmed’s statement seems to suggest that no-go areas in the city will grow 
organically like cancer. Should we fear that criminals want all-out anarchy where 
the law of the jungle is followed all over the city? SSP Amir Farooqi, who heads the 
police’s Orangi division, doesn’t think so. “They don’t want to turn Karachi into a 
war zone. 
“They’re here to recruit people and generate funds to send back to their comrades 
along the tribal belt. Setting the economic hot spot of Pakistan ablaze wouldn’t 
exactly be conducive for this purpose.” 
No-go areas only for a particular ethnicity in times of ethnic violence (Orange) 
1. Safoora Goth 
2. Area near Micassa apartment 
3. Area around Old Sabzi Mandi 
4. Shireen Jinnah Colony 
5. Shah Rasool Colony 
6. Hijrat Colony and Sultanabad 
7. Memon Goth 
8. Sharifabad 
9. Kati Pahari 
10. Quaidabad 
11. Bilawal Shah Noorani Goth 
12. Pehlwan Goth 
13. Hazara Goth 
14. Sherpao Basti 
15. Natha Khan Goth 
16. Bizerta Lines 
17. Delhi Colony 
18. Chanesar Goth 
19. Ilyas Goth 
20. PIB Colony 
21. Parts of New Karachi 
22. Azizabad 
23. Jamali Goth 
 
3
24. Areas along Drigh Road 
25. Jackson and docks 
26. Khokrapar 
27. Mehran Town 
28. Parts of Landhi 
29. Shershah 
Complete no-go areas because of the presence of militants or gangsters 
(Red) 
A. Pakhtunabad 
B. Sultanabad 
C. Ittehad Town 
D. New Mianwali Colony 
E. Parts of Lyari 
F. Macchar Colony 
G. Settlements in Sohrab Goth 
H. Shanti Nagar & Dalmia 
I. Qayyummabad 
J. Afghan Basti 
K. Kunwari Colony 
L. Chota Plaza 
M. Supermarket area of Sohrab Goth 
Published in The Express Tribune, March 23rd, 2013”. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4
 
2. 
We 
have 
issued 
notice 
to 
the 
Advocate 
General. In response thereto, Mr. Zafar Abbas Bokhari, DIG (West) Karachi and Amir 
Farooq, SSP (Central) have entered appearance. Mr. Zafar Abbas, DIG on his own 
downloaded some maps from the Google Earth. He has handed over the same to the office. 
In his presence, we have witnessed the different areas shown in the sketch/map as no-go 
areas for a particular ethnicity and the complete no-go areas. The object of holding the 
hearing before the date, which has already been fixed i.e. 4th April, 2013 at Karachi, is to 
judicially bring into the notice to all the law enforcing agencies namely, Rangers, Police, etc. 
that the lives of the citizens of Karachi are not protected as a consequence of the greater 
influence of the criminals in the different areas which now is known as partially no-go and 
complete no-go areas. During the previous hearings held by us at Karachi we were 
persuaded to hold that there is no no-go area particularly in Lyari. Such statement has been 
brought on record in writing by a person not less than a D.G. as well as Acting Inspector 
General of Police. Immediately their stand was contradicted by police officers namely, 
Najmud DinTareen and Niaz Muhammad Khoso which has been noted in our previous 
orders. However, in presence of the documentary evidence which either is to be rejected or 
accepted to hold that there is indeed no-go areas or otherwise and if it is so, then the claim 
of the citizens of Karachi about their non-protection of lives and properties cannot be 
denied. However, in view of the response and the prevailing law and order situation, a 
preliminary purpose and object of the law enforcing agencies is to protect the lives of 
citizens.  
3. 
Therefore, we direct to the Additional Advocate General to hand over copy of this 
order alongwith story published in the Express Tribune dated 23rd March, 2013 for its 
onward circulation to the DG Rangers as well the Inspector General of Sindh Police. It is the 
duty of the Police to provide protection to the citizens and take them out of the fearful 
influence of the criminals in the different pockets of the Karachi. Therefore, we direct the 
I.G. Police that to testify firstly the SHO, DSP and SP of each police station even DSP or SP, 
who are supervising more than one police station, the contents of the news items or 
otherwise. If they accept the same, then shall explain as to why this dismal state of affairs 
exists and also to disclose that why the police force is not controlling the law and order 
 
5
situation. The Additional Advocate General would also hand over copy of his order and 
appended news items to the DG, Rangers so that he may also make a categorical statement 
in respect of the partial or complete existence of ‘no-go areas’. The learned Additional 
Advocate General would also remind him that earlier he had emphatically taken a stance 
that there is no ‘no-go’ area in Lyari, whereas not only such areas exists in Lyari but also in 
other parts of the Karachi which correspond with the sketch appended above. The D.G. 
Rangers shall explain that despite availability of resources and command as to why the law 
and order situation is not improved not only in Lyari but also in the rest of the areas of 
Karachi for the last so many years. In the meanwhile, both the Agencies if desired, may 
take necessary steps to abolish all ‘no-go’ areas for which purpose we have already given 
two weeks’ time to the concerned agencies. The learned Additional A.G. shall hand over 
copy of this order to the incumbent Chief Secretary Sindh.  
 
To come up on 4th April, 2013 as already announced at Karachi.  
 
    
   Chief Justice 
 
 
 
Judge         Judge 
 
 
Judge         Judge 
 
 
 
ISLAMABAD 
29.03.2013 
M. Azhar Malik