SHC furious over poor investigation in missing persons’ case

Orders additional home secretary to appoint a focal person on the issue

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court directed the additional home secretary to appoint a focal person on the issue of missing persons on petitions related to the recovery of missing persons including Pathan Khan Zahrani.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro heard the petitions for the recovery of Pathan Khan Zahrani and others. Zahrani's wife said, her husband has been missing for several months. "My husband's kidneys were also not functioning. I don't know how would he be doing," she lamented.

The court was furious over the poor investigation of the police officers. Justice Kalhoro remarked: "Is this the way investigation is done in the cases of missing persons? You just appear on the date without any progress. What investigation have you done into the case?"

Justice Kalhoro said the court would order giving half of the salary of relevant investigation officer to the missing person's wife besides suspension of the IO from service. The court while giving a respite of 15 days, directed that the whereabouts of the missing person may be traced.

Read More: SHC seeks progress report on missing persons

Meanwhile, the Sindh High Court has directed the public prosecutor to submit reply in the court after seeking it from the authorities concerned in a petition against non-provision of alternative accommodation to the Lyari Expressway victims. During the hearing of a petition, the Assistant Advocate General again asked for time to respond. The court remarked that the reply has not been submitted since 2018. "Neither the project director is coming to the court nor the mukhtiarkar while the government departments are shifting blame on each other," the court remarked.

The petitioner's counsel argued that plots are there but there is a fear that those would be encroached upon. The court adjourned the hearing of the case till February 10 and directed the public prosecutor to file a reply after seeking it from the authorities concerned.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 19^th, 2022.