ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court on Wednesday, accepting a plea to inquire about death of four missing prisoners, who were allegedly picked up by intelligence agencies from outside Adiala Jail following their release in 2010, sought reply from the Attorney General of Pakistan regarding the matter on January 30th.
The court also issued notices to Defence Secretary, ISI and MI DGs and Judge Advocate General (JAG) Department.  A three member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and comprising Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez heard the Civil Misc. Appeal No. 05/2012, Ruhaifa vs Federation of Pakistan against the order of the SC Registrar returning the petition being not entertainable.
The petition has been filed under Article 184 (3) of the Constitution wherein it was stated that three sons of the petitioner namely Syed Abdus Saboor, Syed Abdul Basit and Syed Abdul Majid alongwith other 8 detenues are in the illegal confinement of the respondents since 29.05.2010 and out of them three have been killed in an unlawful manner and without any trial and due process of law.
Tariq Asad counsel for the petitioner said that last week another prisoner also died and his body was found from the jungle near Peshawar.
The CJP expressing concern over the death of four missing prisoners asked the AGP that it was a very serious matter and it should be probed.
The counsel for applicant, Tariq Asad said that he had a video of those prisoners, who been murdered through torture.
He said that three bodies of missing prisoners were found in Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar but one body was found in a jungle near Peshawar.
The AGP requested the bench to give some time for getting details from relevant authorities.
Ruhaifa’s lawyer requested the court to direct the respondents to submit a report about the deaths of the prisoners, and the status of the remaining detainees.He also said detention of the prisoners was violation of Articles 4, 10, 10-A and 14 of the Constitution.
‘The respondents should also be asked to explain if all the prisoners are subject to the Army Act’, Ruhaifa said in the petition.
On April 8, 2010, Rawalpindi‘s Anti-Terrorism Court acquitted the 11 prisoners of the charges framed against them by police.  The day the prisoners were released from Adiala Jail, they were allegedly taken into custody by intelligence agencies. The court adjourned the hearing till January 30th.
Notices to Attorney General of Pakistan, Advocate General KPK and respondents were also issued.