Missing persons: SC expresses dissatisfaction over investigations

Court issues short order saying criminal cases will be registered against those behind forced disappearances.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday expressed dissatisfaction over the investigation conducted so far by the relevant authorities in the missing persons case and issued a short order in this regard.

The order says criminal cases will be registered against those who are behind forced disappearances.

The court also decided that from now every case will be reviewed individually.

The court has also directed the Registrar's Office and the Attorney General to separate the cases of police and the intelligence agencies.

Earlier today, the Islamabad high court issued notices to the Secretary Ministry of Interior, Secretary Ministry of Defence and the officials of Enquiry on Enforced Disappearances while hearing a case regarding two missing persons.

Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan presided over the hearing of the case.

Deputy Attorney General Shafi Chandio said that action should not be taken without issuing notices to the concerned parties.

The hearing of the case has been adjourned till February 7.

Updated from print edition (below).

Enforced disappearance: ‘Where are my sons?’

A man on Wednesday moved the Islamabad High Court for the recovery of his two ‘missing’ sons.

Fazlur Rehman, a resident of Haripur district, filed a petition in the court making Secretary Ministry of Interior, Secretary Ministry of Defence and the officials of Enquiry on Enforced Disappearances as respondents.

The man contended that his two sons, Ahmed Sultan and Muhammed Awais, were picked up by the officials of a security agency with the help of police on November 16, 2009 during a raid on his house.

He further said that the officials also directed him to produce his third son, Kaleemur Rehman, before the I-9 police, who was not present at the house during the time of the raid.

According to the petitioners, on November 21, 2009 he along with his third son went to the police station, however the station house officer told him that there was no charge against his third son.

“But after leaving the police station some unknown men in plain clothes picked him up,” said the father.

After a few days, Ahmed Sultan, who was picked up earlier, was released, but the two were still ‘in [their] custody’, the petitioner said.

Rehman further said that he had lodged several applications before the Inspector-General of Islamabad police for their release but it did not bear any positive results.

He stated that the officials of a sensitive agency had assured him that they would release his son soon but till date no progress was made on the issue.

He mentioned in his petition that in November 2009, the officials from the Commission of Enquiry on Enforced Disappearances office called him and informed that his sons were in the custody of the intelligence agency.

“After a few days, I received a phone call from an officer, who called me at the Sargodha Police Station to arrange a meeting with their sons,” said the petitioner.

From there, Rehman was taken to an undisclosed location blindfolded to meet his children.

“After meeting with my sons, the officials assured me that they would be released after a few days.

“But after the passage of the given time neither my sons were released nor I was informed about their wellbeing,” the dejected father added.

He also mentioned in his petition that there was no criminal case registered against them, and their detention was illegal.

He prayed the court to issue an order for their release.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 27^th, 2011.