Court orders immediate housing for ex-jailer

Expresses disapproval of forced eviction of Akram's family from govt residence

RAWALPINDI:

Justice Chaudhry Abdul Aziz of the Rawalpindi Bench of the Lahore High Court adjourned the hearing on the alleged abduction of Deputy Superintendent Jail Muhammad Akram, who returned home after being missing for a month and a half, until Wednesday (tomorrow).

During the hearing, the judge expressed strong displeasure over the forced eviction of Akram's family from their government residence. He reprimanded the jail authorities for evicting the family while Akram was missing, questioning under what law or authority the eviction had taken place. The court ordered the Superintendent of Adiala Jail to provide the family with a house within two days. The judge warned that failure to comply would result in summoning the Inspector General (IG) of Prisons for further action.

At the start of the hearing, reports from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior were submitted, as per the court's prior orders. Both ministries stated that Akram was not in the custody or detention of any agency. However, the court rejected both reports, ordering the submission of affidavits from the relevant officers. The court also instructed that the secretaries of the respective ministries be questioned again, prompting a 45-minute break.

When the hearing resumed, the Assistant Advocate General, representing the government, maintained that the reports from the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Interior were accurate. However, Iman Mazari, the lawyer representing petitioner Maimoona Riaz, strongly objected to the forced eviction of Akram's family, arguing that they were wrongfully removed from their official residence. She described the eviction as an injustice to the family.

The court reiterated its displeasure over the eviction and issued a notice to the Superintendent of Jail, demanding an explanation for why the family was forced to vacate the house while Akram was missing. It ordered the immediate return of the house to the family and reiterated that the family must be provided accommodation within two days, failing which the IG of Prisons would be summoned.