Alive and well: ‘Missing’ under-trial prisoner in custody at Malir Cantonment

Muhammad Muawiya is being tried for attacking former SHC CJ’s convoy in 2013

KARACHI: Ruling out the disappearance of an alleged member of the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi who was facing trial in connection with an attack on the convoy of former Sindh High Court (SHC) Chief Justice Maqbool Baqar, prison authorities disclosed on Thursday that the suspect in question was in custody at Malir Cantonment.

This was disclosed in comments filed by the superintendents of the Karachi and Sukkur central jails and Malir district jail, who were issued notices by the SHC on August 1 to file comments regarding the disappearance of Muhammad Muawiya, as apprehended by his family.

Ahmed Laghari, the brother of the under-trial prisoner, 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 Sukkur jail to meet Muawiya in July this year, the prison officials said the prisoner had been shifted to Karachi jail.

The petitioner had claimed that the Malir District Jail 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. Therefore, he had pleaded to the court to order the prison authorities to ascertain the whereabouts of the prisoner.

On Thursday, Karachi Central Jail’s superintendent informed that different cases of murder, attempted murder, encounters with police officials and explosives under anti-terrorism laws were registered against Muawiya at the Surjani, Preedy and Artillery Maidan police stations. Those cases are pending trial before the courts concerned, he added.

The superintendent further said that in light of the letter of the SHC’s Member Inspection Team-II to the home authorities, the under-trial prison was shifted from Karachi Central Jail to Sukkur Central Jail.

He said the prisoner’s custody was handed over to the commanding officer of 169 Self-Propelled Medium Range Artillery Maidan in Karachi on December 9, 2015. Therefore, the prisoner is no more missing, the officer maintained.

Headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, the division bench disposed of the petition in view of the comments filed by the prison authorities. It observed that the petitioner may seek remedy from the appropriate forum.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 19^th, 2016.