Missing persons’ cases: SHC seeks list of recovered people

30 petitioners claim victims were taken into custody by law enforcers

KARACHI: Unimpressed by the law enforcers' reports on efforts for the recovery of 'missing' persons, the Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the additional secretary (home) to inform how many of the alleged detainees have been recovered.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, passed this order while hearing several petitions seeking the recovery of various citizens allegedly taken into custody by law enforcers from across the city. The bench is hearing nearly 30 such cases, which are exclusively held every Monday.

At the outset, the police officers filed their reports to show progress on efforts being made to recover citizens whose relatives allege that law enforcers having taken them into illegal custody in the recent months.

The judges were, however, not impressed by these reports. The bench members observed that effective measures were not being taken to ascertain the whereabouts of the 'missing' persons. It further noted that the police officials were merely submitting 'stereotypical' reports.

The additional home secretary maintained that the provincial task force established for the missing persons had secured recovery of many individuals.

Justice Phulpoto directed the secretary to submit a list of those persons whom the provincial task force and law enforcers have recovered. The report will be filed by November 3.

The bench also issued notice to the head of the provincial task force in the missing persons case, the director-general of Rangers, the inspector-general of police, the home secretary and others to file comments regarding the whereabouts of other missing persons.

Still missing

The bench also sought reports on the whereabouts of Taj Haider, the finance secretary of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement's Qasba Colony Unit Office, who was allegedly taken away by the Rangers and police last week.

Haider's mother had approached the court alleging that law enforcement agencies during a raid at their residence subjected her and Haider to torture. Later, they took him to an undisclosed place, she claims.

Another petitioner, Ali Akbar, alleged that law enforcement personnel in civvies had taken away his brother, Zubair, from Moosa Lane, Lyari, on March 28, 2014. He added that the whereabouts of the detainee are still unknown despite the fact that the court had been issuing directives to the police to recover the missing person.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2016.