Islamabad High Court directs ISI to assist in recovery of missing citizen

The IHC has directed that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) be made a party in the case concerning the recovery of missing citizen Faizan Usman.

The court also instructed the ISI's sector commander to assist the Inspector General of Islamabad in the investigation.

During the hearing, Justice Babar Sattar ordered the authorities to trace the abducted citizen by Thursday.

The court emphasised the need for swift action, instructing the Inspector General to trace the missing person's phone number and vehicle.

The petitioner's account detailed a harrowing ordeal, describing how unknown individuals entered his home, conducted a search, and took his son away, allegedly due to suspected connections with a proscribed organisation.

Despite attempts to contact the authorities and repeated visits to their offices, the family has received no information on the whereabouts of their son.

The petitioner also provided evidence, including video footage showing a vehicle with a Quetta number plate near his residence.

He expressed fear for his son's safety, stating that the family was warned against approaching the media or the courts.

The Islamabad High Court has adjourned the hearing until Thursday, with a firm directive to ensure the recovery of Faizan Usman.

Last month in August, the federal government announced a new initiative under the "National Consensus and Legal Resolution" programme to provide financial aid to families of missing persons, offering Rs5 million to each affected family to alleviate their economic hardships.

The government clarified that this move should not be interpreted as an admission of responsibility by the state or its institutions.

Previously in another missing person case, the IHC 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.