Missing persons case: Punjab top cop told to submit report in 15 days

IB chief denies missing man is in agency’s custody.

RAWALPINDI:

The Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench on Monday ordered Punjab’s police chief to submit a report on the whereabouts of a missing person by April 23. The province’s top cop was also told to seek the help of the country’s spy agencies.

Earlier, during the hearing, the head of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) denied that the missing person picked up from Wah Cantonment in May 2013 was being held by his agency.

IB Director General Aftab Sultan informed the court that his agency does not have any information about the whereabouts of the missing person, Khan Badshah, a resident of Waziristan.

Besides, Sultan, Defense Secretary Asif Yaseen Malik, Inspector General (IG) of the Punjab Police Khan Baig, and senior Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) and Military Intelligence (MI) officers appeared on behalf of their respective directors general.

When the hearing started in the court of Justice Ibadur Rahman, petitioner’s counsel Sardar Taufiq Asif expressed dissatisfaction over the failure of the spymasters to appear in person and brought the issue to the court’s notice.

“Every time, assurances are given, but no developments have been made for the last year,” he informed the court.



Deputy Attorney General Tariq Khokhar replied that a commission is already working on missing persons’ case.

The court, however, questioned the status of the commission and asked under which law the commission was set up and to what extent it can implement its decisions. “The commission’s job is to give recommendations,” the court said.

The court also asked the Punjab IG about progress made in the investigation. The IG informed the court that a team led by a superintendent and under the supervision of the Rawalpindi city police officer is investigating.

The court then referred to the ordeal of Dr Nek Badshah, who was also picked up along with his brother and was later released. In his statement, Badshah had accused the ISI of picking them up.

After hearing the arguments, the court directed the IG to submit a report by April 23 and to also take help from other intelligence agencies in the investigation.

The court has twice issued notices to the DGs asking them to appear in person.

Last Thursday, Brigadier Riaz Ali Qazi, representing MI, and Major Muhammad Tariq Malik on behalf of ISI, had filed an application requesting that the court grant an exemption from personal appearance to the intelligence chiefs, citing security reasons. In their applications, the military officers also expressed regret for not assisting the court in the case.

“It is humbly submitted that had this honourable court been properly assisted there would have been no occasion to pass the orders dated March 19 and 27, 2014. Bona fide remorse is in order with an undertaking that henceforth, all manner of appropriate assistance shall be provided,” the applications said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th, 2014.