Nawab Leghari disappearance: What is the use of Safe City cameras, asks IHC

Interior ministry’s secretary, IG police told to appear in person before the court

ISLAMABAD: A judge of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday has asked senior officials of the capital, police and the interior ministry what was the use of the cameras installed under the multi-billion-rupee Safe City Project when it could not track a man picked up in the capital

The observation was made by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani while hearing a case on the disappearance of an aide of former president and Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.



Nawab Ali Leghari had gone ‘missing’ from the capital on April 4 after some people, who identified themselves as ‘government officials’ visited his house. Leghari’s wife – the petitioner in the case – claimed that Leghari and his cousin were asked to produce their computerised national identity cards (CNICs).

Subsequently, she said, the officials allegedly picked Leghari up and threw him inside their vehicle and took him away. She had alleged that her husband may be illegally confined of the interior secretary.

Justice Kayani subsequently ordered the secretary of the interior ministry and the inspector general of Islamabad police to appear in person before the court on May 8.

The court also directed the secretary interior to submit a detailed report in the case.

Barrister Qasim Nawaz Abbasi, the petitioner’s counsel, had contended before the bench that people belonging to only one political party were being “kidnapped”.

“The petitioner is apprehending that her husband is in illegal confinement of respondent Number 3 [secretary interior],” Badran, Leghari’s wife, alleged in the petition submitted before the IHC.

Abbasi said that the petitioner had gone to the Lohi Bher police station but the SHO there initially refused to register an FIR over the disappearance. It was not until later, he said when the matter was highlighted in the media that the police register an FIR.

The petition stated that Leghari is still missing and that his family still does not know about his whereabouts.

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Abbasi had prayed to the court to direct the IGP to recover and produce Leghari before the court and hand him over to his family.

At the previous hearing of the case, Justice Kayani had issued notices to the secretary interior, inspector general of Islamabad police and station house officer Lohi Bher police station directing them to submit their replies.

On Monday, Justice Kayani, while directing the secretary interior and the IGP to appear in person before the court, adjourned the matter for May 8.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2017.