Lack of action: SHC issues warrants for police officials’ arrests

CIA SSP, AVCC inspector failed to comply with court's directives regarding two missing students

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued on Thursday warrants for the arrest of police officials for not complying with the court's earlier directives to ascertain the whereabouts of two missing students.

The court issued bailable warrants for the arrest of Central Investigation Agency (CIA) SSP Farooq Awan and non-bailable arrest warrants for inspector Amjad Kalyar of the Anti-Violent Crime Cell of the CIA for the sum of Rs25,000 each.

Headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, the division bench was hearing petitions against the disappearance of two students from Karachi in 2011 and 2012. Muhammad Faisal, a second-year student of the Ship Owners College located in North Nazimabad, had allegedly gone missing in January 2012.

His father, Muhammad Islam, took the interior secretary, the provincial home secretary, the provincial chiefs of the police and Rangers and the Mominabad police station's house officer to court.

The petitioner said his son had gone to Saddar for shopping on January 9 but never returned home. He stated that a kidnapping case, FIR No 26/2012 under Section 365-B of the Pakistan Penal Code, was also lodged at Mominabad police station. However, the law enforcers have yet to ascertain his whereabouts.

On September 10, the SHC bench had directed SSP Awan to look into the matter, as the authorities had failed to make any progress since 2012 when the petition was filed in the high court. The officer was also directed to submit a report within two weeks.

During Thursday's proceedings, the judges noted that neither did the officer appear nor was any reason given to the court on his behalf. The bench members expressed extreme displeasure over the police authorities' conduct towards the compliance of the court's directives.

"Let bailable warrants in the sum of Rs25,000 be issued against him to be served through the DIG CIA for the next date," the judges ordered. The DIG must ensure SSP Awan's arrest and his appearance before the court on October 22.

Inspector's arrest warrants

The same bench also issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of an inspector of the AVCC, Amjad Kalyar, in a case relating to the disappearance of a business student from Iqra University. They fixed the next date of the hearing on October 29.

Last month, the judges had issued bailable warrants for Kalyar's arrest for not submitting the record biometric verification of the SIM cards used by the kidnappers of Ali Raza.

The petitioner, Aliya Parveen, had alleged that the law enforcement agencies had kidnapped her 22-year-old son 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 September 17, the bench issued bailable warrants for arrest of Kalyar, as he failed to appear with the SIM cards' biometric verification report.

During Thursday's proceedings, the police official was still absent. The judges issued a non-bailable warrant for him in sum of Rs25,000.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 9^th, 2015.