Illegal disappearances: PHC issues notices to Khyber political administration

Mother of detainees files petitions; case adjourned till July 11.

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) issued notices to Khyber Agency political administration officials to explain why they had abducted two tribesmen.

PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Khalid Mehmood were told that brothers Baz Muhammad and Muhammad Javed had been missing for 20 days. They had allegedly been abducted from Karkhano Market in Peshawar, despite the fact that the Agency’s political administration does not have jurisdictional powers in that area.

The mother of the missing brothers filed a petition. Her counsel, Shaukat Ali, told the court that they had been kept inside containers in scorching temperatures, and that there were more people being held in similar situations.

Shaukat said keeping people in these conditions is a violation of human rights. The court issued a notice to assistant political agent of Khyber Agency Tehsildaar Jamrud to respond.

The case was adjourned till July 11 on which similar cases of missing persons will also be heard.

The division bench also issued notices to a colonel of the Frontier Corps (FC), Khyber Agency political agent and secretary of law and order about similar cases involving missing persons.

Jawad Ali from Akakhel tribe said that FC had abducted him for a few days after he had been ‘pointed out’ by the local peace militia.

Jawad’s counsel Sabghatullah Shah informed the court that his clients’ house had also been occupied by the militia and Jawad was receiving death threats. The case was adjourned till July 18.