Missing person: SHC issues notices to home, interior, defence secretaries

The son of Pasban-e-Pakistan general secretary Usman Moazzam disappeared on June 11

KARACHI: A division bench of the Sindh High Court on Friday issued notices to the provincial home, interior and defence secretaries as well as the Rangers DG and Sindh IG for their replies on a petition filed by Pasban-e-Pakistan general secretary Usman Moazzam for the safe recovery of his missing son.

Saad Moazzam, 24, left his residence in Federal B Area to attend a religious gathering at nearby Madni Masjid when he was allegedly kidnapped on June 11. An FIR was registered against unidentified persons at the Samanabad police station.

Usman told The Express Tribune that there were no updates in the case apart from the notices issued by the court. "We do not know if he was kidnapped or picked up by the law enforcers," he said, also claiming that they had been threatening him and his party because of the issues they were raising.

Usman nominated the Sindh home, interior and defence secretaries, Rangers DG, Sindh IG, Special Investigation Unit superintendent, Counter Terrorism Department DIG and Samanabad SHO as respondents in his petition.

Requesting the Sindh government and the provincial chief minister to look into the matter, he said that it was very strange that the government had yet to take any action for the safe recovery of a citizen. "Since the high court has now issued notices for July 9, we will wait till then," he added. "We will not take any illegal steps for his recovery because the case is in the court now and we believe in obtaining justice through the courts."

Meanwhile, the party will stage protests in Karachi and across Sindh for Saad's safe recovery.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 21^st, 2015.