Police given two weeks to produce missing man

CTD in-charge nominated over disappearance of an accused in Karachi airport attack case

The Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered the police on Thursday to produce Nadeem Patel, an accused in the Karachi airport attack case, within two weeks.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Nazar Akbar and Justice Abdul Mubeen Lakho, was hearing a plea pertaining to Patel's disappearance, where the new investigation officer (IO) informed the court about progress in the case.

The IO stated that the accused in the case, Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in-charge Raja Umar Khattab, had gone into hiding to avoid arrest. He added that they had raided CTD Civil Lines on Wednesday to arrest Khattab, but he was not there.

"We do not understand why there was any need to make an accused involved in 13 cases disappear," remarked Justice Akbar. "Whatever you do, find the accused dead or alive and bring him to court."

The court gave the Ferozabad DSP two weeks to produce Patel.

Contempt of court

Meanwhile, a bench comprising Justice Nadeem Akhtar and Justice Mahmood A Khan adjourned the hearing after an assistant commissioner submitted a report in the contempt of court petition against the Karachi commissioner and others for increasing milk prices.

The report stated that 1,287 shopkeepers had been penalised Rs7.592 million since January for selling overpriced milk. However, the report admitted that not a single milk-seller was sent to jail.

The court adjourned the hearing for an indefinite period.

The petitioner had maintained in the plea that the Karachi commissioner and the Sindh government had failed to sell milk at Rs94, in line with judicial orders. He added that the commissioner and others should be charged for contempt of court.

Court issues notices

Moreover, the SHC issued notices to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Sindh government, Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and others in a petition pertaining to garbage in the vicinity of the Karachi airport.

The petitioner's counsel pointed out that there were piles of garbage in the airport's surroundings, attracting birds. He added that the presence of birds in the area had caused numerous aviation-related incidents.

"If the garbage around the airport is not cleaned, a major accident could take place," he maintained, adding that the court should restrict the dumping of garbage near the airport.

The court issued notices to the CAA, the Sindh government, KMC and others, seeking replies from the parties.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2020.