The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday issued notices to the federal and provincial governments in 12 of 16 petitions concerning missing persons, directing both authorities to submit detailed reports on the whereabouts and recovery of the detainees.
A single bench headed by Chief Justice SM Atiq Shah took up the petitions. During the proceedings, Deputy Attorney General, Additional Advocate General, and the police focal person appeared before the court. Counsel for the petitioners stated that their clients' relatives had been missing for months, with families left in the dark regarding their location or legal status. The court was informed that three missing individuals had recently returned home, but no progress had been made in the other 12 cases.
In one petition, the counsel alleged that his client had been abducted from Peshawar's Sarafa Bazaar along with 24 kilograms of gold. The lawyer told the court that anonymous callers were now demanding the release of the gold in exchange for his client's freedom. Chief Justice Shah questioned the legitimacy of carrying such a large quantity of gold. The counsel explained that much of it had been entrusted to his client by others. The Chief Justice observed that transactions in Sarafa Bazaar often involve exploitative and unlawful practices, remarking, "People hand over one lakh rupees and demand six lakh in return. These are unlawful earnings, yet they are used for Hajj, Umrah, and sacrifices."
The court directed the authorities to investigate and provide a detailed report.
Separately, in the case of missing person Rana Hamza from Gujranwala, the court summoned a report from the SHO of the Eastern Police Station. It also directed eyewitnesses of the alleged abduction to appear before the bench and submit sworn affidavits. The SHO and witnesses were ordered to present the complete record by September 29.
Meanwhile, the PHC also reserved judgment in appeals filed by two men convicted by a military court under the Army Act. The appeals were heard by a division bench comprising Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Muhammad Faheem Wali.
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