IHC orders recovery of missing brothers

Court expresses frustration over lack of progress; sets May 5 deadline

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court has directed Islamabad and Punjab police to recover four missing Afghan brothers within two weeks. Justice Muhammad Asif set a deadline of May 5, stating, "We are giving you two weeks — we need results. Recover the missing individuals."

The court was hearing a petition filed by Afghan woman Gul Seema regarding the disappearance of her sons. Justice Asif called the mother to the rostrum and spoke with her in Pashto. Her words were then translated for the police officials: "I have been coming to the High Court since August. If my sons have died, then tell me."

During the hearing, Islamabad's Deputy Inspector General (DIG) requested more time for their recovery. The court inquired about the absence of the Inspector General (IG), to which the government counsel responded that the hearing was scheduled for 11 a.m., and the IG had not yet arrived. However, DIG Islamabad, Regional Police Officer (RPO) Rawalpindi, SSP Legal Punjab, DSP Legal, and Director Legal Islamabad Tahir Kazim were present in court.

The petitioner's lawyer argued that the case had been ongoing for eight months with no substantial progress. He also questioned whether an FIR had been registered for all four missing individuals or just one.

The court emphasized the urgency, stating that granting more time was meaningless unless it produced results. After hearing the arguments, the court granted a final two-week extension and adjourned the hearing until May 5.

Woman's body found in canal

The body of a married woman was found from the Left Canal Bank of Khanpur Dam canal on Wednesday. Police have yet to determine whether the incident was a murder or suicide.

According to police, the victim had left home earlier in the morning to drop her children off at school but never returned. Her body was later discovered near the Left Canal, close to Khanpur Police Station. Upon receiving the report, personnel from Khanpur Police and Rescue 1122 reached the scene, retrieved the body and transported to Khanpur Headquarters Hospital for identification and post-mortem examination.

The deceased was identified as 25-year-old Rishna Bibi, a resident of Dingi Tube Well area in Haripur. She was married to a young man from Dara, a locality in Khanpur.