‘Missing’ officer’s case: IHC directs defence secretary to nominate official

Wife of Sub Lt says her husband is in Naval Intelligence’s custody since last Sep.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday directed the defence secretary to nominate an officer, who will appear in person before the court, in connection with a petition of a naval officer’s wife alleging that her husband is in illegal custody of Naval Intelligence since last year.

Safia Ismail has approached the IHC claiming that her husband, Sub Lt Hafiz Ehsanullah Sajjad, was allegedly in the custody of naval authorities without any charges being leveled against him. She said Sajjad was taken away from his residence in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi by ‘some people in plain clothes’ on the evening of September 6, 2014.

Her petition has cited the Federation of Pakistan through the secretary Ministry of Defense, Chief of Naval Staff and Director General (DG) Naval Intelligence as respondents in the petition.

On Friday, Safia’s counsel Inamul Rahiem said the respondents have allegedly detained his client’s husband without any lawful justification. He said not allowing the family members to meet Sajjad was a violation of fundamental rights.

Following the hearing, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui directed the defence secretary to nominate an officer for appearing in person before the court on the next date of hearing.

In the petition, the counsel said Sajjad had sought permission from the Pakistan Navy to resign from service in July 2014 for personal reasons, adding his request remained under process before he was picked up.

Safia stated that her father, a retired Khateeb of Pakistan Navy, kept running from pillar to post to ascertain the whereabouts of Sajjad but the entire naval chain of command maintained complete silence. A written request was also forwarded to the Chief of Naval Staff, DG Naval Intelligence and other relevant authorities for the release of her husband but it was never replied to, she stated.

Interestingly, on the same day – September 6, 2014, as Sajjad’s disappearance, terrorists had attacked the Pakistan Navy dockyard in West Wharf, Karachi with alleged inside help. Following the incident, details of which are still murky, several officials in the navy were reportedly held for their alleged involvement.

Rahiem, however, told The Express Tribune that he was not sure whether the incident was related to his client’s case.

Rahiem has prayed that the prolonged detention of the petitioner’s husband and the manner of the detention be declared illegal and in contravention of the naval ordinance if naval authorities failed to justify the legality of such a prolonged detention.

The case will be taken up on June 18.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2015.