QUETTA  - Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Monday directed the authorities concerned to deploy the newly-appointed police officers in Balochistan’s restive areas.The chief justice issued the directive during the hearing of a petition on law and order in Balochistan at the SC Quetta Registry. A three-judge SC bench, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, heard the petition that was filed by the Balochistan Bar Association.The chief justice regretted that the targeted killing surged in Balochistan. “Unidentified gunmen come, kill and flee. What are police doing? Why 30 police and District Management Group (DMG) officers, who arrived in Balochistan on the court order, haven’t been posted so far?” he asked.The chief justice said the situation in the Pashtun-dominated areas was better and issued directives to post the newly-appointed police officers in Balochistan’s restive areas. The inspector general of police informed the court that a summary in this regard had been submitted to Balochistan Chief Secretary Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad.Justice Chaudhry added that the police in Balochistan had failed in bringing peace to Balochistan. He regretted that several of the officers belonging to Balochistan had never served in the province even for a day. He remarked that had the government properly utilised the funds allocated for the purpose, the current deterioration would not have taken place. He said that the provincial government had no writ in Dera Bugti, adding that the region was under the control of the Frontier Corps.However, the chief justice reiterated his resolve to continue with following the Constitution and the law, saying: “We want democracy remains in place. We will proceed no matter what happens. The Balochistan issue is more vital than any other issue. We had asked that use of Kabul vehicles and arms be got stopped and death squads be got disbanded but to no avail. Only lip-service was paid.”He said: “The scale of terrorism in the province was not larger than Sri Lanka where a cricket match was being played on Sunday. We have to pass an order only. We are showing restraint. We want democratic order remains in place in the country”. He said the judiciary should not be taken to the point that it had had to pass an order. About law and order situation in Balochistan, the AG said crime rate had declined by 50 percent in Quetta. Moreover, Balochistan Assembly Speaker Mohammad Aslam Bhootani in his statement before the bench showered praise on the chief secretary and inspector general of police. Bhootani was of the view that both the chief secretary and the IG were powerless as neither could they act against the political government nor could they refuse the court’s orders. However, the chief justice said: “Uprightness does not mean that you should not deliver.”Senior lawyers Munir A Malik, Raja Suleman, M Zafar and Hadi Shakil also appeared in the court and recorded their statements about situation in the province. The advocate general told the court a missing boy had been recovered. Justice Jawad S Khawaja remarked this was already told by the chief secretary in Islamabad. “Court be informed about anything new.”