PHC issues notices in multiple missing persons cases, refers two to commission

The court disposes of one petition after the missing person was recovered and appeared before the bench

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday issued notices to the provincial government and the inspector general of police on multiple habeas corpus petitions seeking the recovery of missing persons, while referring two cases to the commission on missing persons and disposing of another petition after the missing individual was traced.

A bench led by Chief Justice SM Attiq Shah heard the petitions. During the proceedings, lawyers representing the missing persons, Additional Advocate General Numanul Haq Kakakhel, the police focal person, and Deputy Attorney General Atif Nazir appeared before the court.

The lawyer for Tahir Farid, a missing person from Kohat, presented CCTV footage showing that his client had been picked up from his own home at midnight, allegedly involving local police and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officials.

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The CJ remarked that the faces in the footage were clearly visible. “If these are police officials, the Advocate General should produce them before the court. The relevant CTD officials and the SHO must also appear,” he ordered.

In another case, pertaining to Amir Hamza from Mardan, the court was informed that the petitioner had been kidnapped by CTD officials immediately after his release from jail. The lawyer argued that the jail’s CCTV cameras could verify the claim. The court subsequently referred the case to the missing persons commission and directed it to review the footage.

Similarly, the lawyer for Kashif Usman, missing from Charsadda, alleged that CTD personnel had picked up the petitioner. “If he was taken into custody, the relevant police should have been informed. We have evidence that police officials lifted him,” the lawyer argued.

The CJ responded, “You are levelling allegations against the police department. Present your evidence. The missing persons commission will review the proofs, and if the allegations are proven, an FIR will be registered.” The court accordingly sent that petition to the commission.

Also Read: Missing persons cases referred to Commission

Meanwhile, the court disposed of one petition after the missing person, Amin Akbar, from the limits of the police station Inqilab in Peshawar, was recovered and appeared before the bench along with his mother.

Akbar told the court that he had been taken into custody by Inqilab police station SHO Ahmad Jan. “We want an FIR registered against the police,” he demanded. The CJ assured him, “Submit an application for registration of an FIR, and we will issue an order in this regard.”