SHC orders appointment of BS&P DG within three weeks

Court seeks police progress report over recovery of child who has been missing for nine years

The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed the relevant authorities on Tuesday to appoint a director-general (DG) for the Bureau of Supply and Prices (BS&P) within three weeks.

A two-member bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed, was hearing a plea seeking the appointment of the BS&P DG and councils' chairperson in the consumer protection courts

The petitioner maintained that the Sindh government had failed to appoint a BS&P DG since 2011 and the chairperson for the councils in consumer protection courts since 2018.

He claimed that the consumer protection courts had not been functional for two years, with hundreds of complaints pending due to the councils' chairperson's absence.

"What was the point of establishing consumer protection courts when there is no one to head the institution?" queried Justice Mazhar.

The court directed the authorities to appoint the DG within three weeks, noting that the Sindh chief secretary, services secretary and agriculture secretary would be summoned to court if the judicial orders were not followed.

The court adjourned the hearing till November 4.

Missing child

Meanwhile, another bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice Shamsuddin Abbasi, sought a progress report from the police regarding the recovery of a five-year-old girl who had been missing for nine years.

The court expressed concern over the authorities' failure to recover the child. "The missing girl was five years old when she went missing. Where she is at the moment is a serious matter," remarked Justice Kalhoro.

The court stated that the authorities should fetch records of all suspects named by the girl's mother and recover the child immediately.

The investigation officer (IO) informed the court that the suspect named by the missing girl's father was currently in jail in Bahawalpur. He added that the phone number from which the family had received a call was registered in the name of an impoverished man residing in Lakki Marwat.

The IO claimed there was no evidence pointing towards the girl being in custody of any suspects named by the family.

The court responded that many persons who appeared to be innocent turned out to be involved in such crimes.

The court sought a progress report from the police by November 5.

Extension granted

Separately, the SHC granted a month-long extension to the police over a plea seeking the recovery of two missing members of a nationalist party.

East SSP Sajid Sadozai and other police officials appeared before the court. Sadozai claimed they were trying to recover the missing men, Bashir Shar and Ghulam Rasool Shar, and obtain information about them from different agencies.

The IO informed the court that all law enforcement agencies had denied detaining the missing men.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2020.