‘Find those responsible for man’s disappearance’

Govt tells IHC security services did not arrest victim

ISLAMABAD: The government on Tuesday was directed to determine who was responsible for the disappearance of a man from the federal capital around five years ago.

This was directed by a single-member bench of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah, as it heard a petition filed by Nareen Begum about the disappearance of her son, Imran Khan.

During Tuesday's hearing Additional Attorney General Tariq Khokhar, Deputy Attorney General Tayyab Shah appeared on behalf of the federal government while Col (retired) Inamur Raheem appeared on behalf of the petitioner.

Shah said that the case dates back to 2015. He added that the victim is not being held by any security agency of the country.

At this, Chief Justice Minallah asked whether there is any material on the record which suggests that this is a case of enforced disappearance.

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At this, Col Raheem said that there is a report by the commission set up for the recovery of missing persons.

On hearing this, CJ Minallah directed to trace who was the inspector general of Islamabad Police, the relevant station house officer and other officials at the time when the victim went missing.

Addressing the petitioner's counsel, the chief justice remarked that the petition before the missing persons' commission had been filed in March 2019. He further asked the petitioner's counsel to point out the implications of Mahira Sajid's case,

Asking the additional attorney general to find out who were the police officers who were deputed in the city when the man went missing, CJ Minallah assured him that the court will do nothing more than decide the case as per the Mahira Sajid case.

The court adjourned further hearings until July 16.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 24^th, 2020.