'Family are crying in courts while Sindh police sit comfortably'

Court wants progress reports from law enforcers in missing persons, children cases

KARACHI: Expressing displeasure over the non-recovery of missing children, the Sindh High Court (SHC) demanded a progress report from the police within three weeks on Wednesday.

Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto remarked that the missing children should be recovered soon or else he will not let the police relax. He assured the parents of the missing children that the court would support them.

SSP Irfan Bahadur said that two children, Sajjad from Faisalabad and Umme-Farwah from Korangi were recovered through newspaper advertisements. He informed the court that the inspectorgeneral of police had formed a team for the recovery of missing children and the police had recovered 129 children from 2014 to date.

However, Justice Phulpoto said that more children must be recovered for the court to praise the police.  He questioned why there had been no investigation into who took away the children once they were recovered.

The court warned that the matter of children going missing is alarming and every aspect should be investigated. It called for the submission of a progress report from the police within three weeks.

Meanwhile, the parents of a missing girl, Saima, testified that their daughter had missing from Baldia Town two years ago. They told the court that the police wasn't cooperating.

On this, the court summoned the District West SSP and the concerned SHO on the next hearing. At another hearing, the SHC directed the Rangers officials and others to submit a detailed report on November 7 in response to petitions filed for the recovery of more than 73 missing persons.

The court issued notices to the respondents over the disappearance of Rafiq Shan, Bashir Zubair and others.  Justice Phulpoto said that families of missing persons are crying in courts while the police sit comfortably.

A two-member bench, headed by Justice Phulpoto heard the petitions on Wednesday. Rangers prosecutor, Habib Ahmed, informed the court that the missing persons were not in the custody of the paramilitary force. To this, Justice Phulpoto, said that some citizens who were disappointed by the institutions do not come to the court. Ahmed claimed that the majority of the missing persons have returned home and their cases were under hearing. Lawyers do not inform the courts after the recovery of the missing persons, he alleged. Justice Phulpoto, however, said he wanted a report of the citizens who have returned to their homes.

Discussing the case of a missing person, Saad Khan, investigation officers informed the court that Khan was killed in a police encounter in Ajmer Nagri.

Expressing surprise, the justice wondered how it could happen that the police pick up a civilian and kill him in the dark of the night. The court handed over the investigation of the killing of Khan in a police encounter to the Karachi additional IG.

Another missing person, Irfan, was picked up by Rangers officials from Gulshan-e-Iqbal, for which CCTV footage is also available, said Irfan's family in a statement to the court.

The court, on the family's statement, said that this is a serious allegation on the Rangers and the family would have to submit a clarification in their defence.

Case of a social worker

Meanwhile, the SHC has ordered the head of a Joint Investigation Team, Zone East DIG and others to appear at the next hearing in a case relating to the disappearance of social worker Khalid Makashi, his son Muhammad Umar and AlKhidmat Foundation's central office bearer, Ijazullah. Advocate Muhammad Amir argued that Ijazullah was taken into custody for having sympathy for the social worker.

Expressing anger over the police's performance, the court remarked that despite two JITs, Umar could not be recovered. The lawyer argued that Makashi and his son Umar were arrested by officials in plain clothes. After some time, Makashi's son-in-law and friend also disappeared.

Two days ago, Ijazullah was also arrested and he has disappeared, the lawyer said, adding that those sympathising with Makashi and his family were also being arrested.

In her statement to the court, Umar's mother said that social service has been made a crime. She alleged that the family was being punished for serving society. The court summoned the JIT head, Zone East DIG and others to the next hearing.

Civil hospital in hot water

Summoning the health secretary, Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital medical superintendent, South SSP and others in a case relating to a three-yearold who went missing  from the hospital, the SHC directed the chief secretary to submit a report within two weeks.

Saba, the mother of the missing child, gave a statement in court that she took her child on May 28 to the doctors at Civil hospital. Her son disappeared while a receipt was being made for the OPD.

It was revealed before the court that despite repeated requests, the family was not allowed to check the hospital's CCTV camera record. It turned out that the CCTV cameras were out of order.

The hospital stood exposed before the court due to the disappearance of a three-year-old. The hospital administration presented a report in court, according to which the cameras of the hospital were not working on the day the child disappeared. There is also no record of the child's registration in the OPD.

Expressing its anger over the report, the court summoned the health secretary, Civil hospital MS, South SSP and others to the next hearing. The court also asked for a report to be submitted by the chief secretary within two weeks.