The incident happened at a time when the street was abuzz with people and it was witnessed by numerous neighbors, he said. “Both the petitioner’s account and the affidavits of neighbours strongly implicate state agencies,” Gilani said. PHOTO: IHC WEBSITE
ISLAMABAD: While directing the Ministry of Interior to submit a detailed report in a case pertaining to “enforced disappearance” of a capital resident, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered on Wednesday the SHO of the Shalimar Police Station to appear in person before the court.
While expressing lack of satisfaction over a report submitted by the Ministry of Interior, the court sought a detailed report.
In the report, the ministry said that investigation was underway and SP Saddar had been deputed to carry out investigation into the case.
Justice Athar Minallah remarked that somebody had to be held responsible in such a case but primarily it was the responsibility of the SHO concerned to provide protection to the citizens.
Subsequently, Justice Minallah summoned the SHO on the next date of hearing.
Meanwhile, the deputy attorney general (DAG) Malik Feisel Rafique representing ministries and intelligence agencies sought one week’s time to submit reply in the case which was granted.
Petitioner Mahera Sajid through her counsel Umer Gilani has alleged that her husband, Sajid Mehmood, was “abducted from their home in F-10/1 amidst circumstance which strongly suggests that this is a case of enforced disappearance.”
She has made the secretaries of Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Interior, Inspector-General of Police, DG Intelligence Bureau, Inter-Service Intelligence Directorate, Military Intelligence and the SHO Shalimar Police Station, respondents in the case.
On the previous hearing, the court had issued notices to the respondents observing that the abduction of citizens by uniformed personnel was a matter of utmost concern.
The respondents have been directed to recover the person and to file a report.
The court had also sought a report from the Ministry of Defence and the intelligence agencies regarding the increasing frequency of enforced disappearances in Islamabad.
While challenging “enforced disappearance” of her husband, Mahera has alleged that the frequency of enforced disappearances in the federal capital has risen sharply over the last few months and her husband is only one of the many victims.
The petition seeks recovery of Mehmood, an engineer by profession and a father of three girls, who went missing from his residence on March 14, 2016.
The counsel said that both husband and wife were IT professionals and ran a small software export firm called QualityClix.
Gilani said that on March 14 around eight men barged into the petitioner’s home in Street 29, F-10/1 and abducted Sajid.
Gilani said that the men had come in one land cruiser and two double-cabin cars and after searching the house for around 20 minutes, allegedly took some of the family’s computers with them.
They also took away important documents, including the couple’s academic certificates, property records, keys and registration book of petitioner’s car, he said.
The incident happened at a time when the street was abuzz with people and it was witnessed by numerous neighbors, he said. “Both the petitioner’s account and the affidavits of neighbours strongly implicate state agencies,” Gilani said.
After waiting for four and a half months hoping that the police, the agencies or the Missing Persons Commission would provide some relief, he said, the petitioner had filed a habeas corpus petition before the IHC.
The case will now be taken up on August 18th.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 11th, 2016.
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