Govt put on notice on missing persons

Court seeks answers from Centre, province in multiple cases

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PESHAWAR:

The Peshawar High Court issued notices to the federal government in 13 cases of missing persons and to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government in 10 cases, demanding responses. The provincial government also submitted reports in four cases.

The cases were heard on Monday by Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim. Additional Attorney General Sanaullah represented the federal government, while Additional Advocate General Inamullah Yousafzai appeared for the provincial government. During the proceedings, the Additional Advocate General submitted reports for four cases of missing persons, while the federal government provided a report for one case. The court issued notices to the provincial government in 10 cases and the federal government in 13 cases, seeking their responses.

Sessions court authorised

Also, the Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court, Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, instructed the federal government to grant authority to the session court and Additional Session Judge-I in Dera Ismail Khan to hear Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) cases. He stated that the government's role is to provide facilitation, not create hurdles. Transferring ANF cases from DI Khan to Kohat leads to unnecessary time and cost. He recommended notifying local courts in DI Khan for ANF cases and initiating the required procedure.

These directions were issued during the hearing of a bail application by accused Rauf Khan, arrested for smuggling 167 kilograms of hashish by the ANF in DI Khan. Advocate Nosheen Ahmed represented the accused, while ANF's lawyer Tariq Kakhar was also present.

The Chief Justice questioned why ANF cases from DI Khan were being transferred to Kohat, 250 kilometers away, creating difficulties for litigants. The ANF lawyer responded that issuing notifications was not under their purview, to which the Chief Justice advised them to take the initiative instead of shifting all responsibilities to the court.

Advocate Nosheen Ahmed informed the court that her client, suffering from hepatitis C and severe liver issues, should be granted bail on medical grounds. However, the ANF lawyer argued that hepatitis is widespread in Pakistan, primarily due to water issues, and bail could not be granted at this stage.

The Chief Justice addressed the Additional Attorney General Sanaullah, questioning why ANF courts in DI Khan had not been granted authority and pointing out that litigants must travel 200 kilometers to Kohat for their cases. The Additional Attorney General assured the court that actions would be initiated immediately to grant the necessary powers to DI Khan courts. The court adjourned the bail hearing to January 27, directing the federal government to submit a report.

'PTI not interested in NRO'

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader and former provincial minister Shaukat Yousafzai expressed disappointment over the decision regarding the £190 million case being postponed for the third time. He stated that it seems the government is attempting to secure an NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance), but PTI will neither seek nor grant such a deal. Reacting to the delay, Yousafzai said that negotiations would continue until January 31, after which the decision to proceed would be made by Imran Khan. He added that if there is progress on the judicial commission, talks may continue; otherwise, they will come to an end.