The Sindh High Court ordered a sub-inspector of the Naseerabad Police Station to register a missing persons FIR to recover Awami Workers Party (AWP) leader Seengar Noonari.
A two-member bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Justice Fahim Ahmed Siddiqui, heard the petition seeking the recovery of the AWP leader. A counsel and the sub-inspector of the Naseerabad Police Station appeared on behalf of the Pakistan Rangers.
The court also sought a report from the relevant agencies by the next hearing slated for August 12.
The petition stated that Noonari had been missing for several days and there was no information on his whereabouts. The applicants cited fears that the political leader may have been tortured and appealed for his immediate recovery.
Defence ministry under fire
Meanwhile, the performance of the federal defence ministry came under the scrutiny after its report on missing citizen Muhammad Yousuf being in jail proved to be false.
Hearing the case, the same bench summoned the relevant legal director before the court.
The petitioner's counsel stated that Yousuf was neither in Kohat Jail nor in Mardan Jail. Justice Kalhoro raised eyebrows over the submitted report, which claimed that the missing person had been located in jail.
Read More: SHC issues notices in missing person case
He remarked that the legal director in Islamabad should appear before the SHC in person. He observed that the court had been misled and its time was wasted. "We had disposed of the application [based] on this report," he said.
The petition stated that Muhammad Yusuf has been missing since 2017. Meanwhile, the ministry had claimed Yousuf was first in Kohat Jail and later Mardan Jail. The petitioner alleged that another individual had been told to appear instead of Yousuf.
VC appointment
Another bench, comprising Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Agha Faisal, sought a copy of the National Accountability Bureau's reference from the petitioner, Muhammad Moazzam Baloch's counsel. Baloch has challenged the appointment of Mehran University of Engineering and Technology (MUET) Vice Chancellor Dr Muhammad Aslam Uqaili and has alleged corruption.
According to the petitioner, the anti-graft watchdog is investigating Uqaili and a man suspected of corruption could not be appointed as a VC.
The court inquired whether any reference had been filed against the professor. The petitioner's counsel replied that a NAB press release revealed that a reference had been filed.
Justice Siddiqui remarked that the court would not take action on a press release or newspaper articles. "If the reference is verified, action will be taken," he said.
The court refused to issue notices to the parties and sought a copy of the NAB reference from the counsel of the petitioner.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 30th, 2021.
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