Found in Wah: LHC orders inquiry into illegal custody allegations

Man was picked up from Islamabad by uniformed men claiming to be Pindi police officials

RAWALPINDI: The Lahore High Court (LHC) here on Wednesday directed the Rawalpindi city police officer (CPO) to hold inquiries into allegations that the Wah police officials kept a man in illegal custody for about two weeks.

Justice Mujahid Mustaqeem of the LHC Rawalpindi bench issued the directions on a petition filed by Sher Muhammad, who alleged that his son Ahmed Khan had been in the illegal custody of the Wah police.

The judge disposed of the petition after Wah police officials informed the court that Ahmed Khan was arrested for his alleged involvement in carjacking. The police said that two separate FIRs were registered against Ahmed Khan on December 27.

The petitioner’s lawyer insisted before the court that Ahmed was kept in illegal custody before he was booked for carjacking.

The petitioner had maintained before the court that Ahmed was taken away from Farash Town in Isamabad with his Suzuki Ravi pick up on December 12. He said that men in plain clothes introduced themselves as police personnel from Sadiqabad in Rawalpindi.

The petitioner further stated that when he visited Sadiqabad Police Station he got no information about his son, adding that the same was the case at other police stations.

Sher Khan also claimed that his son told him through a cell phone that he was safe. Then on December 20, a man informed him that his son was in the custody of the Wah police. He said that when he reached the police station, the officials denied having Ahmed in custody.

He had prayed to the court to recover Ahmed from illegal custody and take legal action against any police officials involved.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2016.