SHC tells investigator to meet missing persons’ families
The Sindh High Court building. PHOTO: FILE
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday ordered the secretaries of the Defence and Interior ministries to submit a report in the second week of March on a petition for the recovery of victims of enforced disappearances allegedly languishing in detention centres across the country.
A two-member bench headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto heard the petitions related to the recovery of eight people missing from different areas of Karachi.
The counsels for the families of the missing persons stated that Khurram Kazmi, Aurangzaib Ghori, Liaquat Ali, Kabeer Abbas, Jahanzaib Aziz, Nawab Ali and others have been missing for many years. They requested the court to issue orders for their immediate recovery.
The bench expressed anger at the investigating officers over lack of progress and remarked that they want results. Justice Phulpoto remarked that IOs should meet the families of the missing persons, find out the reasons of their disappearances and find them.
The court in a dialogue with the police officers said that people were devastated due to enforced disappearances and they should try to understand their plight.
The court ordered police investigators to submit the names and details of the citizens who are imprisoned in the detention centers. The court also asked for the travel history of those missing persons.
Contempt plea against CM disposed of
An SHC bench headed by Sindh Chief Justice Ahmed Ali Sheikh disposed of a contempt plea against the Sindh chief minister and local government secretary regarding the possible postponement of local bodies elections. Jamaat-e-Islami's counsel Usman Farooq submitted to the court that he wanted to revoke as the local government elections had already taken place. The court disposed of the petition on the request of the petitioner.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2023.