Hearing in ex-Punjab CM aide’s ‘abduction’ case put off
PHOTO: EXPRESS
Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench judge Justice Chaudhary Abdul Aziz adjourned the hearing on a petition about the whereabouts of former special assistant to Punjab chief minister Zubair Ahmad Khan till April 17.
The former chairman of the Punjab chief minister’s complaint cell, Zubair went missing from the Gulnar Colony area of Race Course police limits earlier last month.
The FIA and the police submitted a report stating that they have no knowledge of the alleged kidnapping nor have they arrested him.
On the court inquiry, Additional Attorney General Siddique Awan sought time to get a report from defence and interior ministries. The court approved the request and ordered to get detailed replies from the two ministries and submit a report at the next hearing.
The petitioner’s lawyer took the stance that Zubair Ahmad Khan was arrested in front of his children by people riding in a black car and posing as officials of the anti-corruption department.
He said that despite the passage of one month, his client has not been produced in any court and that was a violation of human rights.
He pleaded that in the instant enforced disappearance case, instead of giving a long date, an immediate order should be issued for his recovery. The court said that in light of replies from all institutions, the court will issue an order as per the law.
Earlier, the family of the former Punjab CM’s aide appealed to the chief justice to take suo moto notice of the issue for his safe recovery.
Zubair’s son Saad Zubair had adopted the stance in an application addressed to the CJP that his father was abducted by 12 unidentified persons when he was coming home from his office on the night of March 8.
“We searched him everywhere but his whereabouts are not being traced out. A case of his abduction was also registered at the Race Course Police Station while the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench was also approached but to date, he has not been recovered,” the contents of the application read. “It is the constitutional responsibility of the state to protect the life and property of its citizens. Their dignity, liberty and freedom of movement are protected under the Constitution,” the application said.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 8th, 2023.