Unlawful detention: SHC gives show-cause notice to officer for obstruction of justice

Officer to explain why police were not allowed to inquire on presence of a citizen.

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued, on Thursday, a show-cause notice to the commanding officer of Malir Cantonment to explain why a police investigator was not being allowed to inquire about the presence of a citizen allegedly detained at the garrison.

Headed by Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, the bench was hearing a petition seeking the recovery of a detainee, Mohammad Ramzan, from alleged unlawful detention by the law enforcement agencies.

His wife, Fatima, alleged that her spouse was picked up by personnel of law enforcement agencies on February 11 from Gulistan-e-Jauhar and his whereabouts had been unknown ever since. However, she added that one of the detainees released from Malir Cantonment had disclosed that Ramzan is also detained there.

Her lawyer, Syed Abul Waheed, recalled that the court had previously directed the investigation officer of the Gulistan-e-Jauhar police station, where the missing incident was reported by the family, to inquire about the detainee’s presence and submit a report.

During one of the previous hearings, the bench was informed that the investigating officer had gone to Malir to inquire about the presence of the detainee but was not allowed to do so.

On the last date of hearing, the court had directed the commanding officer of Malir Cantonment to file his personal affidavit to the effect that the detainee is not kept on the premises of the cantonment.

However, on Thursday, the commanding officer failed to do so, therefore, the court issued a show-cause notice to Malir Cantonment’s commanding officer to explain why the order has not been complied with so far and gave a time of seven days to do so.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 11^th, 2014.