Reunion: Missing Syrian student set free

IHC turns down plea to continue studies.

ISLAMABAD:

A capital court, on Wednesday, disposed of the case of a missing Syrian student detained by a secret agency after he was allowed to return to his country of origin.

Yoman Ismail, a Syrian student, who had been in the custody of security agencies for the last two years, was produced before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) where he was handed over to his father.

Bilal al-Sameer, Ismail’s friend, had filed a petition last year challenging his illegal detention. He said Ismail went missing in 2010, while in July 2012, the Arab Desk of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the court that he was picked up by security agencies for overstaying in the country. He informed the court that Ismail was a student of LLM at the International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI).

During the course of hearing, Commander Shahbaz escorted Ismail to the court on behalf of the defence ministry. “Are  you satisfied now,”  Justice Siddiqui asked his father in the packed courtroom. “I have no words to thank you,” replied the father.

Ismail’s counsel Jahangir Wains requested the court to allow his client to continue his studies at IIUI, however Justice Siddiqui turned down the plea, saying let him go to his hometown. “Let his father decide but it’s not good for him to stay here,” he observed.

His counsel insisted that his client wanted to continue his studies. “Without a passport it’s not possible for him to travel to Syria,” he argued. The court asked Commander Shahbaz to guide Ismail about his travel documents and disposed of the case. On January 28, Justice Siddiqui had directed defence ministry to produce him before the court.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2013.