Missing ex-jailer not picked up by agencies, court told

Judge reprimands CPO for procedural lapses; seeks affidavit from defence secretary

RAWALPINDI:

In the alleged abduction case of former Deputy Superintendent of Adiala Jail, Muhammad Akram, the Additional Attorney General has informed the court that Akram is not in the custody of the intelligence agencies, including Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) or Military Intelligence (MI), which fall under the purview of the Defence Ministry.

The Defence Ministry will also submit a detailed statement on the matter. The court was informed by ISI, MI, police, and intelligence agencies that they had no involvement in the disappearance.

The judge noted that an affidavit from the Secretary of Defence would help clarify the situation, leading to the postponement of the hearing on the recovery petition to August 27.

Following a reprimand, the Rawalpindi City Police Officer (CPO) appeared in court, offered an unconditional apology, and submitted a corrected affidavit. The court issued a warning to be more cautious in the future and expressed frustration over the missing person case, criticising the jail administration and police for their lack of action.

During the hearing, the wife of the missing Deputy Superintendent, along with her lawyer Iman Mazari, appeared in court. The Rawalpindi CPO, Adiala Jail Superintendent, and SHO of the Saddar police station were also present.

Additional Attorney General Sajid Ilyas Bhatti presented the initial report from the Defence Ministry, while the Saddar police provided a copy of the case registered concerning the former Deputy Superintendent and confirmed that it was also shared with the petitioner's lawyer.

At the onset of the hearing, the CPO marked his attendance and resubmitted a corrected affidavit. The court reprimanded the CPO and inquired if the jail superintendent had contacted any authority regarding the missing person. The Adiala Jail Superintendent replied that he was fully cooperating with the police. The Additional Attorney General assured the court that if Akram is recovered, he will be presented in court.

Lahore High Court's Rawalpindi Bench Judge Justice Muhammad Raza Qureshi directed the CPO to include the jail superintendent's statement in the police report and submit a progress report at the next hearing.

The court advised the petitioner's counsel to submit arguments at the next hearing, noting that the FIR for abduction had already been filed.