PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) disposed of a petition after the family of a previously missing person who died in custody at the Lakki Marwat internment centre received his death certificate.
The death certificate was handed over to the family by the provincial government through Additional Advocate General Mujahid Ali Khan. The document was sought by Gul Mat Khan, the father of the deceased.
The petition was disposed of by the division bench of Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Musarat Hilali while hearing Gul Mat Khan’s petition related to his son Payo Gul on Wednesday. The latter died at the internment center on November 28, 2013.
During the previous hearing on November 17, the high court issued a bailable arrest warrant against the in charge of the Lakki Marwat internment centre for not complying with court orders. The official failed to provide the death certificate of the deceased, as ordered by the PHC, and also failed to appear before the bench during the said hearing.
Gul Mat Khan said his son was on his way to Kurram Agency on November 3, 2011 when he was taken into custody, while authorities also seized his vehicle and luggage.
An earlier report given by the jail superintendent to Gul Mat Khan showed the detainee was admitted to the hospital at the internment centre on November 28, 2011 as he was complaining of chest pain. Khan added the Kurram Agency political administration confiscated the vehicle and other goods worth Rs0.7 million. Now the authorities demanded a death certificate for the return of the vehicle and the goods.
On July 25, the high court directed the provincial government to provide a death certificate to the family.
The order was issued by the division bench of Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Justice Musarrat Hilali while it heard a petition seeking Payo Gul’s death certificate.
The petition stated Payo Gul was travelling from Daggar to Sadda in Kurram Agency on November 3, 2011. The deceased was arrested when he was stopped at an army check post and later confined at the Lakki Marwat internment centre. However, the man’s body was handed over to the family on November 28, 2013.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 11th, 2014.
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Judge delayed is justice denied. PHC needs to reduce the time taken to give proper judgment.