Disappearance: Former SHC judge’s attacker ‘mysteriously disappears’ from jail
SHC seeks comments on missing under-trial prisoner
Justice Maqbool Baqar. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI:
The Sindh High Court [SHC] issued on Monday notices to the prisons IG and the superintendents of the Sukkur Central Jail and Malir District Jail on a petition regarding the alleged disappearance of a prisoner facing trial in connection with the attack on the convoy of former SHC chief justice Maqbool Baqar.
Ahmed Laghari, the brother of the under-trial prisoner [UTP] Muhammad Muawiya, had taken the chief of prisons police and the superintendents of two jails to court over the alleged disappearance of his brother. The petitioner said his brother was taken into custody in connection with the attack on Justice Baqar’s convoy in June 2013 and was shifted to the Sukkur Central Prison from Karachi’s jail.
He said, however, that when he went to the jail to meet Muawiya in July this year, the prison officials said the prisoner had been shifted to Karachi jail.
His lawyer, Ayesha Rehman, added that when they approached the Malir District Jail, the authorities were not aware of Muawiya’s transfer of custody. Expressing concern over what he called the mysterious disappearance of his brother, the petitioner apprehended that the prisoner’s life might be in danger. He pleaded the court order the prison authorities to ascertain the whereabouts of the UTP.
Headed by Justice Muhammad Farooq Shah, the division bench issued notices to the respondents to file their comments on the whereabouts of the UTP by August 18.
According to jail superintendent of Sukkur Central Prison-I Shahid Hussain Chijro, Muawiya was brought to Sukkur prison in 2013 and, when the government decided to turn over such cases to the military courts, he was handed over to the Malir Cantonment authorities in Karachi on December 8, 2015.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 2nd, 2016.
The Sindh High Court [SHC] issued on Monday notices to the prisons IG and the superintendents of the Sukkur Central Jail and Malir District Jail on a petition regarding the alleged disappearance of a prisoner facing trial in connection with the attack on the convoy of former SHC chief justice Maqbool Baqar.
Ahmed Laghari, the brother of the under-trial prisoner [UTP] Muhammad Muawiya, had taken the chief of prisons police and the superintendents of two jails to court over the alleged disappearance of his brother. The petitioner said his brother was taken into custody in connection with the attack on Justice Baqar’s convoy in June 2013 and was shifted to the Sukkur Central Prison from Karachi’s jail.
He said, however, that when he went to the jail to meet Muawiya in July this year, the prison officials said the prisoner had been shifted to Karachi jail.
His lawyer, Ayesha Rehman, added that when they approached the Malir District Jail, the authorities were not aware of Muawiya’s transfer of custody. Expressing concern over what he called the mysterious disappearance of his brother, the petitioner apprehended that the prisoner’s life might be in danger. He pleaded the court order the prison authorities to ascertain the whereabouts of the UTP.
Headed by Justice Muhammad Farooq Shah, the division bench issued notices to the respondents to file their comments on the whereabouts of the UTP by August 18.
According to jail superintendent of Sukkur Central Prison-I Shahid Hussain Chijro, Muawiya was brought to Sukkur prison in 2013 and, when the government decided to turn over such cases to the military courts, he was handed over to the Malir Cantonment authorities in Karachi on December 8, 2015.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 2nd, 2016.