SHC orders recovery of missing persons

Despite 35 JITs and 12 provincial task force meetings to locate Muaz and Talha, their whereabouts remain unknown

KARACHI, PAKISTAN:

The Sindh High Court has issued directives to take substantial actions regarding retrieving missing citizens based on petitions related to the disappearance of various individuals, including two siblings. A two-member bench, led by Justice Nimatullah Phulpoto, presided over the pleas concerning the missing siblings and others. The mother of these missing individuals reported that her sons, Muaz and Talha, disappeared from the Landhi and Airport areas.

The public prosecutor informed the court that the investigating officer had been changed, and the new officer required more time. Despite conducting 35 Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) and 12 provincial task force meetings to locate Muaz and Talha, their whereabouts remain unknown. Notably, the case of missing citizen Muhammad Javed, affiliated with the MQM Altaf group, does not confirm his enforced disappearance; instead, evidence suggests a personal dispute as the cause of his absence.

The court expressed disappointment over the failure to trace the missing persons, deeming it a setback for the police and the overall system. Justice Nimatullah Phulpoto emphasised that the JITs and task force leaders must thoroughly investigate these cases from every perspective. The court has requested reports from the Federal Secretary of Interior, the Foreign Office, and other relevant institutions. Additionally, it has demanded a report on the progress of recovering Muhammad Farhan, Muhammad Waqas, and other missing individuals, instructing concrete measures to be taken for their recovery.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 24^th, 2023.