Illegal detention: CCPO asked to find missing man

Petitioner says her uncle is in CIA police custody; police denies any arrest.

LAHORE:

An additional district and sessions judge on Wednesday directed the capital city police officer (CCPO) to look into a petition seeking recovery and release of a man allegedly in illegal custody of the CIA police.

The petition was filed by Naziran Bibi, a resident of Maleer Goth, Karachi, who said that some five to six officials of the Allama Iqbal Town CIA had conducted a raid at her house on May 19, 2011, and had taken her uncle, Muhammad Arif, into custody. She told the court that her uncle was not wanted in any case. She said that despite his innocence, the police had kept him in illegal detention.

She said she had met Sub Inspector (SI) Muhammad Nawaz to request him for her uncle’s release and he had demanded money. She accused SI Nawaz of threatening to kill her uncle if the demanded money was not paid. She said the police had not produced her uncle before any court since he was arrested. She told the court she feared for her uncle’s life and requested the court to direct the police to produce him before the court.

The judge, Rao Iqbal, had then issued notice to the SI Nawaz and Constable Abdur Razzaq Dogar, respondents in the petition, to produce Muhammad Arif in court.

The CIA submitted a report in the court stating that while Muhammad Arif was not in their custody, he was wanted in 24 cases of robbery. The report stated that the Punjab government had fixed Rs0.6 million as head money on Muhammad Arif.

The judge directed the CCPO to investigate the matter and produce Muhammad Arif before the court if he was in police custody.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 26^th, 2011.