Two ministries’ top officials summoned

Secretaries of defence and interior called in case of two missing persons

ISLAMABAD: Top officials from ministries of interior and defence were summoned by a court in the case of two missing persons. The petition was filed by Fazalur Rehman, who is seeking the recovery of his two sons allegedly picked up by the security agencies.

Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan, in the hearing at Islamabad High Court (IHC), directed the Attorney General (AG) Shafi Chandio to submit his comments by February 7, while court issued a notice to the officials of Enquiry on Enforced Disappearances.

Fazalur 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 petitioner had 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 told the court that the officials of the agency had assured him that they would release his son soon but till date no progress was made on the issue.

He said that on 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 security agency.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th,  2011.