Stop calling families of missing persons to police stations: SHC

Says that the investigating officer should personally visit the family to investigate the case

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued a major order on a missing persons' petition as it ordered authorities not summon the families of such people to the police station.

A two-member bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro, heard the petitions regarding the recovery of missing persons. The petitioner's counsel stated that Muhammad Ali went to Safoora Chowrangi on August 9, 2021, and failed to return. "There were only two women in the house, and the police used to [repeatedly] summon them to the station," he said.

The investigation officer, meanwhile, said a case over the disappearance of Muhammad Ali has been registered. The court prevented the families of missing persons from being summoned to the police station.

The bench remarked that the investigating officer should personally visit the family to investigate the case. Justice Kalhoro ordered that no family should be summoned to the police station, and anyone who needs to be informed about the inquiry or its progress should contact the family directly. "Families are already worried over the disappearance, and they are repeatedly called to precincts." The court directed the Home Department to issue a notification in this regard.

Read More: Speed up missing persons’ recovery, orders SHC

Contempt of court notice

A two-member bench, led by Justice Syed Hassan Azhar Rizvi, issued contempt of court notices to builders and others over the occupation of the land of Manik Government Boys Secondary School. The petitioner's lawyer, Advocate Usman Farooq, argued that the court had stopped builders Azir Hanif and Masood Anwar from construction on March 8.

"Despite the restraining order, construction is underway," he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2022.