Pakistan

Defence, interior ministries clueless about missing man

IHC tells officials to submit sealed reports by September 11

Rizwan Shehzad July 27, 2017

IHC tells officials to submit sealed reports by September 11. PHOTO: EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court on Wednesday directed the Ministry of Defence and security agencies to submit reports in the case of a missing man.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani told the departments to submit their reports in a sealed envelope by September 11.

When the case was taken up on Wednesday, the interior ministry and the ministry of defence denied that they had any information about the missing man.

A director of legal affairs from the Ministry of Defence, however, requested the court to provide them some time since the Military Intelligence had yet to complete its ground check.

Earlier, the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) had produced a missing person Umar Yar before the court. He, along with his brother and servant, was picked up from the Islamabad’s fruit and vegetable market last year.

Yar’s counsel said that after being picked up were then taken to Bahawalnagar where the local CTD registered an FIR against them for their alleged links with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The counsel added that the FIR noted how four hand grenades, two and a half kilogrammes of explosives and two detonators were allegedly recovered from their possession.

The CTD though told the court that his brother, who is still missing, was not in their custody.

Following the hearing, the court issued directives for the report and adjourned the case till September 11.

Nawab Leghari case

Meanwhile, Justice Kayani disposed of a petition seeking the recovery of a missing aide to former president Asif Ali Zardari, Nawab Leghari, after he safely reached home.

Leghari had been picked up by unidentified people from his house in Sawan Garden on April 4. He returned home on July 25.

On July 20, Justice Kayani had ordered the intelligence agencies working under the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defence to produce the ‘missing’ aide within five days or else the court would pass a judgment and they would have to face consequences.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2017.