Investigators given two weeks to find doctor

LHC tells the CIA that it has till February 24 to find a Jinnah Hospital doctor who has been missing since July.

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has told the Crimes Investigation Agency (CIA) that it has till February 24 to find a Jinnah Hospital doctor who has been missing since July.

On Wednesday, CIA Superintendent of Police Umar Virk told the court that investigators needed more time to find Dr Abdullah. The judge expressed displeasure at the performance of the police and directed the SP to do everything possible to find the doctor.

The SP said that the Home Department, acting on a request from the police, had set up a high profile team to investigate the disappearance of the doctor.

Meanwhile, reporter Abdul Manan of The Express Tribune was exempted from appearing in the court for future hearings. Manan had reported that Dr Abdullah had been taken into custody by Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) for alleged links with terrorists who attacked Jinnah Hospital last May. Petitioner Dr Sarfraz, Dr Abdullah’s father, had asked that Manan appear in court to reveal the source of the report that his son was in ISI custody. The intelligence agency later told the court that it did not have Dr Abdullah in its custody, nor did it want him for any case. After this the court had directed police to find the doctor. Proceedings in the case will resume on February 24.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2011.