SHC displeased with authorities’ failure to recover missing persons

Home dept, IGP, Rangers DG, others told to submit replies within a month


Our Correspondent March 01, 2019
Sindh High Court. PHOTO: EXPRESS

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued notices on Thursday to the Sindh home department, Sindh inspector-general of police (IGP), Rangers director-general (DG) and others on the pleas filed for the recovery of over 60 missing people.

The court expressed its anger over the performance of police for making no progress in tracing the whereabouts of the missing persons.

A two-member-bench, comprising Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto and Justice KK Agha, while hearing the pleas remarked that there is a risk that people may lose their faith in authorities.

Husn Bano, the mother of two missing brothers said that her two sons, Hanif and Sohail, were missing for months and the only place she had to go was the court. "Where else could we go? I'm a mother that's the reason I'm in pain. No one understands what a mother's heart goes through. My sons should be recovered," she said.

The court expressed displeasure over the non-recovery and said, "The negligence of police and other law enforcement agencies is becoming intolerable." There is a risk that people will lose their faith in the authorities, said Justice Phulpoto.

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The same bench heard a petition filed by Saeed Muhammad Asif, brother of a citizen who has been missing since four years. He stated that despite the formation of 10 Joint Investigation Teams (JITs), there was no information about his brother.

Family members of Muhammad Shahid, who is said to be a member of a Lyari-based gang, appealed the court to recover him. The police informed the court that the accused was a proclaimed offender in three cases registered at Baghdadi Police Station. ''When we conducted a raid to arrest the accused, we were informed that he is missing since 2015,'' the police said.

Another petitioner stated that his brother Muhammad Younis disappeared in 2015 from a factory where he was working. 'Seven JITs were formed in four years but my brother could not be recovered,'' he said.

The bench adjourned the hearing seeking an updated report pertaining to the recovery of the missing men and sought replies from the authorities within a month.

Additional reporting by PPI

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1st, 2019.

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