Find missing persons in a week, orders PHC

The Peshawar High Court has granted one week to the police to recover four members of the Alakozai family who went missing from Hayatabad, a posh area of Peshawar.

While issuing the deadline, it was declared that the missing persons were yet to be recovered. It was decided that the K-P chief minister would be summoned if the individuals in question were not found till the expiration of the deadline.

Justice Ijaz Anwar remarked that the court has ordered that a joint investigation team be formed for the recovery of the missing persons.

Dissatisfied with the performance of authorities, it was noted that the vehicles seen in the CCTV footage belonged to the police. On the other hand, the court observed that the law enforcers maintained they were unaware of who picked up these missing people from the Alokozai tribe.

Advocate Nader Shah appeared in the court on behalf of petitioner Gulalai Alakozai. He told the court that Usman Khan Al-Kuzai, Muhammad Nasir, Abdul Wars and Zahir Shah Al-Kuzai were taken away from outside their house in Hayatabad by armed men dome six months ago.

At the time, the court ordered the police to recover and present the missing persons, but it appeared that the law enforcers had failed in their duty.

"Action should be taken against the IG Police," the lawyer contended. Meanwhile, Justice Ijaz Anwar revealed that the court was dissatisfied with the JIT report. "Police are saying that they are unaware, yet the CCTV footage shows that the involved vehicles belong to them. We are not satisfied with the JIT report. We are giving one week's time to recover these persons and present them in court by the next hearing. If the missing persons are not presented at the next hearing, then we will summon the chief minister."

The petitioner's lawyer told the court that four members of the Alakozai family were abducted from the house by armed men from the posh area of Peshawar, Hayatabad, of which CCTV footage is also available, but the whereabouts of their clients remain unknown.

The police are also saying that they don't know anything about this. The court gave a week's time to the police and declared that if the missing persons are not presented, then the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be summoned. The court heard the case and adjourned the hearing till August 19.

Earlier this year, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) issued notices to secretaries of the ministry of interior and defence, attorney general (AG) of Pakistan and secretary Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) home and tribal affairs to appear in person in a missing persons case.

A two-member bench of Chief Justice (CJ) Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Ikramullah Khan was hearing 175 petitions of enforced disappearances in which people's relatives were picked up from various locations and have not returned.

The division bench expressed displeasure as replies have not been submitted in the case and chided lawyers representing the federal government for not having a complete record of the case.