IHC orders immediate recovery of missing citizen

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday ordered the recovery of missing citizen Samiullah within three days and warned police that failure to recover him within this timeframe would result in legal action against them.

The directive came during a hearing led by Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, who addressed the case involving Samiullah's disappearance from the Sangjani Police Station jurisdiction.

At the hearing, officials including the SSP Operations, SP Saddar, and SHO Sangjani were present.

Justice Kayani questioned the progress of the investigation, specifically asking whether CCTV footage had been reviewed. The petitioner’s lawyer reported that while Safe City cameras did not provide useful evidence, footage of the vehicle used in the abduction was available.

The vehicle was captured on camera picking up Samiullah at the Sangjani Toll Plaza and was later observed in the Red Zone, near the Judges’ Sector.

In response to concerns about potential judicial involvement, Justice Kayani clarified that while the evidence did not suggest any judges were involved, the vehicle’s presence in the Red Zone for two days was concerning.

The Assistant Attorney General confirmed that the vehicle was not currently in Islamabad, prompting the court to suggest it might be held by another agency.

Justice Kayani emphasized that if no progress was made within eleven days, it would imply that further progress might be unlikely. He gave the police a final three-day period to recover Samiullah, warning that if the individual was not found within this time, he would order a case to be filed against the Inspector General (IG).

The court adjourned the case until July 22 and transferred it to another bench for further proceedings.