Court tells NADRA to issue Form B to missing person’s son

The Sindh High Court (SHC) has ordered the police to submit a comprehensive report regarding the recovery of missing person Sameer Khan Afridi while ordering the Nadra to issue the Form B to the son of the missing citizen within a week.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto heard on Monday the petition regarding the recovery of missing persons, including Sameer Khan Afridi and Furqan Khan. Both have been missing for seven years.

Afridi was last seen at Numaish, according to his family, and there have been no updates on his whereabouts ever since. They said that his son was facing problems as the Nadra authorities weren't issuing him a B Form, which is required for a child to be admitted to school. The court ordered issuance of the form and also sought a report from police on recovery efforts.

Emotional scenes

The mother of Muhammad Furqan Khan had an emotional breakdown on court premises as she sought answers over her son's whereabouts. She accused the police of making false claims, including his alleged affiliated with a banned outfit. She said that another man picked up alongside his son had been released. "For the last seven years, I have been trying to find out whether my son is alive or not," she said.

Justice Phulpoto remarked that efforts are being made to recover your son. The investigating officer, when asked about progress in the cases, said that reports had been sought from the JIT and sensitive institutions. The report was also awaited from detention centres, the IO said. The court summoned the joint investigation team (JIT) head at the next hearing. It also sought a comprehensive report by April 11.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2023.