Adiyala Jail case: SC orders family reunion of 11 ‘missing’ persons
Three-member bench declines plea to dispose of the case.
ISLAMABAD:
The Supreme Court on Friday directed the authorities to arrange a meeting between 11 persons previously thought missing from Adiyala Jail and their families.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday resumed the short proceedings of the case.
Raja Irshad Ahmed, the counsel for intelligence agencies, submitted the confidential report before the bench, upon which the chief justice adjourned the case hearing till January 1, with directions to the counsel to arrange a meeting between the 11 missing persons with their families.
On Thursday, the spy agencies admitted before the court that these men are in their custody and were being interrogated over their involvement in high-profile terrorism cases.
The 11 missing persons include Dr Niaz Ahmed, Mazharul Haq, Shafiqur Rehman, Mohammad Aamir, Syed Abdul Majid, Abdul Basit, Syed Abdul Saboor, Shafique Ahmed, Saeed Arab, Gul Roze and Tehseenullah.
They had mysteriously disappeared from Adiyala Jail on May 28 after the anti-terrorism court Rawalpindi ordered their release. The Supreme Court chief justice took a suo motu notice and summoned the top officials of the country’s spy agencies to explain if they had picked these men up.
On receiving court notices, the spy agencies initially showed reluctance to appear before the court and requested the chief justice to have a meeting in his chamber on the issue. However, the chief justice declined the request and directed them to appear before the court.
The officials who had been appearing in this case included Attorney General Maulvi Anwar-ul-Haq, Punjab Chief Secretary Nasir Khosa, Punjab Home Secretary Shahid Khan, District Coordination Officer (DCO) Rawalpindi Imdadullah Sial and Inspector-General Prisons Kokab Nadeem.
Apart from the report of Punjab chief secretary, all the officials had been claiming that these people were not picked up by the agencies and that they had no information of their whereabouts. But on Thursday, Raja Irshad Ahmad, counsel for the spy agencies, admitted before the court that these people are in their custody.
He explained that these people were not picked up by the agencies. However when the apex court took suo motu notice of their disappearance, army arrested 20 people from tribal areas, including these people.
Irshad submitted that these people deliberately accused the agencies merely to give an impression that the army and agencies are responsible for their disappearance and that they are above the law.
The attorney submitted that these people are involved in high-profile cases, including the suicide attack which claimed the life of the Surgeon General of Pakistan Army Lt General Mushtaq Baig, the attack on Army General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, Hamza Camp and Kamrah complex.
He said they are being interrogated by the intelligence agencies.
Following the court orders, Raja Irshad on Friday submitted the written confidential report which the court accepted and directed him to arrange a meeting between these people and their families and adjourned the hearing.
According to a BBC report, the counsel prayed the court that since these men are no longer missing, the petition about their disappearance be disposed of. However, the court refused to agree with this contention.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 11th, 2010.
The Supreme Court on Friday directed the authorities to arrange a meeting between 11 persons previously thought missing from Adiyala Jail and their families.
A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday resumed the short proceedings of the case.
Raja Irshad Ahmed, the counsel for intelligence agencies, submitted the confidential report before the bench, upon which the chief justice adjourned the case hearing till January 1, with directions to the counsel to arrange a meeting between the 11 missing persons with their families.
On Thursday, the spy agencies admitted before the court that these men are in their custody and were being interrogated over their involvement in high-profile terrorism cases.
The 11 missing persons include Dr Niaz Ahmed, Mazharul Haq, Shafiqur Rehman, Mohammad Aamir, Syed Abdul Majid, Abdul Basit, Syed Abdul Saboor, Shafique Ahmed, Saeed Arab, Gul Roze and Tehseenullah.
They had mysteriously disappeared from Adiyala Jail on May 28 after the anti-terrorism court Rawalpindi ordered their release. The Supreme Court chief justice took a suo motu notice and summoned the top officials of the country’s spy agencies to explain if they had picked these men up.
On receiving court notices, the spy agencies initially showed reluctance to appear before the court and requested the chief justice to have a meeting in his chamber on the issue. However, the chief justice declined the request and directed them to appear before the court.
The officials who had been appearing in this case included Attorney General Maulvi Anwar-ul-Haq, Punjab Chief Secretary Nasir Khosa, Punjab Home Secretary Shahid Khan, District Coordination Officer (DCO) Rawalpindi Imdadullah Sial and Inspector-General Prisons Kokab Nadeem.
Apart from the report of Punjab chief secretary, all the officials had been claiming that these people were not picked up by the agencies and that they had no information of their whereabouts. But on Thursday, Raja Irshad Ahmad, counsel for the spy agencies, admitted before the court that these people are in their custody.
He explained that these people were not picked up by the agencies. However when the apex court took suo motu notice of their disappearance, army arrested 20 people from tribal areas, including these people.
Irshad submitted that these people deliberately accused the agencies merely to give an impression that the army and agencies are responsible for their disappearance and that they are above the law.
The attorney submitted that these people are involved in high-profile cases, including the suicide attack which claimed the life of the Surgeon General of Pakistan Army Lt General Mushtaq Baig, the attack on Army General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, Hamza Camp and Kamrah complex.
He said they are being interrogated by the intelligence agencies.
Following the court orders, Raja Irshad on Friday submitted the written confidential report which the court accepted and directed him to arrange a meeting between these people and their families and adjourned the hearing.
According to a BBC report, the counsel prayed the court that since these men are no longer missing, the petition about their disappearance be disposed of. However, the court refused to agree with this contention.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 11th, 2010.