Missing persons case: SC orders family’s meeting with detainee

Detainee, Tasif Ali, allegedly went missing from Sadiqabad police area in Rawalpindi in Nov 2011.

ISLAMABAD:

Expressing annoyance over the military authorities for not implementing its order, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the Additional Attorney General for Pakistan (AAGP) to arrange meeting between a detainee in an internment center in Kohat and his wife and father-in-law.

The detainee, Tasif Ali, allegedly went missing from Sadiqabad police area in Rawalpindi in November 2011. His wife, Abida Malik, says her husband disappeared after an argument with Major Haider of the Military Intelligence (MI).

A three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Nasir ul Mulk has also asked Col (retd) Inamur Rehman, counsel for Abida Malik, not to appear in court regarding this case as a senior official of the defence ministry complained that Inam is a high court lawyer and does not have the licence to practise in the Supreme Court.

In response to Abida Malik’s petition, the Additional  Attorney General on July 31, 2013, placed on record a statement on behalf of the MI Directorate saying the ‘matter has been consulted’. He insisted that Tasif was neither apprehended nor held in custody and as per ground checks, Major Haider was not involved in the disappearance.

Later, DIG Investigation Punjab Police Abdul Qadir Qayyum confirmed that Haider’s real name is Muhammad Ali Ahsan but the army authorities refused to hand him over to the police and contended that the police could not investigate the matter under the Army Act, 1952.

After repeated denials, the defence ministry on March 14 conceded that Tasif Ali is held at the Internment Centre in Lakki Marwat. During the hearing on Friday, counsel for the petitioner submitted that instead of following the court’s order, the authorities did not hold a meeting between Tasif Ali and his wife and father-in-law in private. On the other hand, AAGP Atiq Shah has stated that the meeting could not be held due to security reasons.  

Published in The Express Tribune, April 26^th, 2014.