Missing persons: Chief, home secretary, IG issued notice by SHC

The federal officers were ordered to gather statements from agencies to present to the court.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has issued notices to the chief secretary of Sindh, home secretary and IG Sindh for not following the court’s orders.

The court was hearing the petition of the brother of Azhar Iqbal, who has been missing since May 7. According to the petitioner, Zia Iqbal, his brother was taken into custody by the law enforcement agencies but he has not been presented in any court. The family has not been told of the charges either, nor do they know where is he being kept.

The bench had ordered the federal law enforcement officers to gather comments from the agencies and present them to the court, but no records have yet been submitted. The court also requested the help of lawyers’ organisations, the vice president of the Sindh Bar Council, the president of the Sindh High Court Bar Association, and the presidents of the city courts and the Malir District Bar Association. The court will hold the next hearing on August 26.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th,  2011.