Islamabad - The Islamabad High Court Friday reserved its verdict in the case of a missing IT expert Sajid Mehmood.
A single bench of IHC comprising Justice Athar Minallah conducted hearing of the petition moved by Mahera Sajid wife of the missing person and reserved his judgment after hearing all the parties.
IT expert Sajid Mehmood, a resident of F-10 has been missing since March 2016. He is father of three daughters while his wife had filed a petition for the recovery of her husband. She also submitted applications seeking allowance on account of monthly household expenses from the federal government till her husband is recovered.
Earlier, Justice Athar had remarked that everyone is equal before the law and there is no difference between the missing child of a common man and the Prime Minister or the Inspector General of Police. He added that every citizen enjoys equal fundamental rights.
He had also observed that in order to prevent future enforced disappearances, the responsible persons should be awarded exemplary punishments.
It was October 21, 2016 when the Ministry of Interior had submitted a report before the IHC that the 15 departments working under its auspices have denied any involvement in the abduction of Sajid Mehmood.
The ministry had suggested the court that the petitioner should pursue her case before the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance.
On August 2016, SHO of the Shalimar Police Station Fayyaz Ranjha in this case had informed the IHC that the vehicle in which the missing Sajid was kidnapped seems to be a government vehicle. Previously an SP Investigation Islamabad had also submitted a report with conclusion that the case of missing Sajid Mehmood appears to be of enforced disappearance.
Sajid’s wife Mahera Sajid in her petition alleged that on the evening of March 14, 2016 Sajid Mehmood came back home when all the family members were present there with Ameen Ullah Khan a domestic helper also. Around 6pm, when the domestic helper opened the gate to go out for an errand, he found eight men standing outside. These men immediately barged into the house. Some among the uniformed men also had black facemasks. The rest of the intruders were clad in plain shalwar kameez which is characteristic of special police and intelligence agency personnel.
She said that after forcing their way into his home, the kidnappers seized Sajid and took him out to their car. After that, for around 20 minutes or so, the intruders ransacked the house and took away computer equipment belonging to the family. They also took away Sajid’s wallet as well as the petitioner’s wallet during the raid.