'Illegal' detention: SHC seeks progress report from JIT on detained KWSB employee

Home dept to submit reports on other missing persons' cases

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court called for a progress report from the joint investigation team probing the 'illegal detention' of an employee of the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board who has been missing since January 15 this year.

The division bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, allowed the home department time until the next hearing to show what progress has been made into the missing person, Shahzad Khan.

Petitioner Shaista Riaz had alleged that the Rangers personnel had taken Khan into custody from his house Orangi Town Sector 1A. The SHO of Orangi Town police station filed his comments and denied having custody of Khan.

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The provincial home department's representative, Sadiq Ali, said that a joint investigation team had been constituted to probe into the allegations of Khan's detention. On his request, the judges granted him time to file a progress report of the JIT at the next hearing.

The same bench also directed the home department's representative to file a progress report of the JIT constituted to investigate the alleged illegal detention of a local government department's employee, Muhammad Ali Raza, since March 19.

His father, Muhammad Shamim Raza, alleged that the Rangers had taken his son into custody from his Gulistan-e-Jauhar residence but have yet to release him or produce in court.

The bench also directed the Rangers legal consultant to file comments on the whereabouts of a man taken into custody during the paramilitary force's raid on the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Headquarter Nine Zero on March 11.

The petitioner, Mumtaz Begum, said the Rangers personnel had taken away her two sons - 48-year-old Nasir Shah and 17-year-old Ghulam Muhammad Arsalan. But, they are not sharing any information about whereabouts of Arsalan, she said, pleading the court order them to produce the detainee in court.

The two judges also called a report from the home department about progress made by a joint investigation team into detention of Muhammad Adeel. His mother, Zareena Khatoon, claimed that the Rangers personnel had taken away her 31-year-old son from his Korangi No. 1 house on April 1 from the limits of the Zaman Town police station. Ever since, the family has no clue on his whereabouts.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2015.