Missing persons: Court orders police to register cases, summons jail official

Petitioners asked to approach police station for registration of FIRs.

PESHAWAR:

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) ordered the police to register the FIRs of four missing persons after security agencies and the ministries of defence and interior denied picking them up on Tuesday.

During the hearing of the missing persons case, PHC Chief Justice (CJ) Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Seth Waqar asked the petitioners to approach the concerned police station and ordered the police to register their FIRs under sections 345 and 365 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Advocate General Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Asadullah Chamkani, Deputy Attorney General Iqbal Mohmand and others, who appeared before the court during the hearing of the twelve missing persons’ case, denied arresting or picking them up.

“This is a cyclostyle reply while, the issue of missing persons has become very serious,” the CJ remarked.

The CJ also summoned the superintendent Circle and SHO Pahari Pura to explain the discovery of a dead body of a missing person, picked up by unknown persons, two months ago.

“Unfortunately, the local police have also adopted the same methods and have rented basements for illegally detained persons,” said the CJ.

The court also summoned the superintendent district jail Mardan along with the guards deputed at the main gate. Sherzada, a resident of Mardan, informed the court that his son was picked up right at the time of his release from the main gate by unidentified persons and shifted to an unknown location after being granted bail. He was kept in judicial lockup,” Mohmand replied.

The CJ ordered the interior and defence ministries to produce missing persons before the court or he would be compelled to hire the services of another agency to trace them.

“I assure you the court will not release terrorists who have slaughtered people. Bring these persons before us and we will try them in court.” The CJ said picking up people was unfair.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 22^nd, 2012.