No headway in search for top judge’s son

Sindh CM suspends two senior police officials without citing any reason

KARACHI: It’s been two days since the lawyer son of Sindh’s top judge was ‘kidnapped’ from a posh neighbourhood of the provincial metropolis. Police are as clueless as they sound, though a massive search is under way for Advocate Avais Ali Shah, the son of Sindh High Court Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah. Advocate Avais was seized in broad daylight by four gunmen from outside Agha’s Supermarket in Clifton Monday noon.

Incensed by the ‘kidnapping’ and subsequent failure to locate Advocate Avais, Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah suspended SSP District South Dr Muhammad Farooq and Clifton SP Amjad Hayat. Though no reason was cited for the suspension of the two senior police officials, a source said they had been informed about the kidnapping on time, but they didn’t order immediate action. Interestingly, SSP Dr Farooq is also part of a nine-member special team, investigating the kidnapping.



Meanwhile, law enforcers have stepped up the search which has so far yielded the arrest of nearly 50 suspects. They haven’t been able to trace a white-coloured Axio car believed to have been used by the kidnappers donning police caps.

Speculations are rife that Advocate Avais might have been kidnapped by outlawed militant or sectarian extremist groups. And investigators say they are questioning some terror suspects in custody to find a possible clue. "We are also questioning the Da’ish-inspired group of Saad Aziz because we believe some offshoot of this group might have kidnapped Advocate Avais to avenge (the arrest and conviction of) their accomplices," one official privy to the investigation told The Express Tribune.



Investigators believe the ‘kidnappers’ might have shifted Advocate Avais outside Karachi or that they are continuously changing locations. The Sindh police chief has sought help from his counterparts in other provinces. He said eyewitnesses didn’t report the incident to police on time.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2016.