Missing persons cases: Court issues bailable warrants for Central Jail superintendent

A petitioner had alleged the prison authorities did not allow him to meet his incarcerated son

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued bailable warrants for the arrest of Karachi Central Jail superintendent and two other police officials for not complying with the court's directives in different missing persons' cases.

A two-judge bench, comprising justices Irfan Saadat Khan and Zafar Ahmed Rajput, issued arrest warrants after taking notice of non-compliance of its directives issued to the prison and police officials.

The petitioner, Muhammad Hanif, had alleged that the central prison authorities were not allowing him to meet his son, Waseem Bilal, and other relatives who were arrested in a case registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

On the last hearing, the judges had directed the superintendent to produce jail rules before the court. On Thursday, neither was the superintendent present nor were the prison rules submitted before the court by his subordinates.

Taking notice of this conduct, the judges issued bailable warrants for the arrest of the prison chief in sum of Rs25,000. The matter was adjourned for three weeks.

Missing Christian employee

The same bench also issued bailable warrants, in sum of Rs25,000, for the arrest of sub-inspector Nasir Ahmed for not making progress about the whereabouts of a kidnapped employee of a South Korean-run hospital.

Samson Issaq was allegedly kidnapped by some Pushto-speaking men on February 28, 2012, alleged his family, adding that his whereabouts have been unknown ever since. The SSP was ordered to personally appear before the court on October 8 to explain non-compliance of the court's directives.

BBA student's kidnapping

The judges also issued bailable warrants for the arrest of inspector Amjad Kalyar of the Anti-Violent Crime Cell of the police for his nonappearance in the court to submit his report on the biometric verification of the SIM cards used by the kidnappers of a business student, Ali Raza.

Raza's mother, Aliya Parveen, had alleged that the law enforcement agencies had kidnapped her 22-year-old son, a BBA student at the Iqra University, on April 6, 2011. Later, his kidnappers contacted them to pay ransom for his safe release but the police failed to track down the culprits.

On Thursday, inspector Kalya was absent despite court's directives to submit SIM cards' biometric verification report. Issuing bailable warrants for him in sum of Rs25,000, the bench directed the SSP concerned to execute the warrants and produce him before the court on October 8.

Meeting with Safoora carnage suspect

The same bench directed the incharge of the Mitharam sub-jail to allow meeting of an inmate, who is charged with Safoora Goth carnage, with his family as per jail manual.

This direction came when the Rangers authorities informed the court that they had arrested Muhammad Naeem Sajid on September 2 after receiving credible information about his involvement in kidnapping and extortion collection, which is punishable under the Anti-Terrorism Act. He is currently detained at the Mitharam sub-jail under the 90-day detention order issued by the sector commander of Abdullah Shah Ghazi Rangers till November 30 under section 11EEEE of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 18^th, 2015.