KARACHI - The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday expressed anger over the non-recovery of missing persons.
A two-member bench o the SHC, headed by Justice Naimtullah Phulapoto, heard a set of petitions filed by families of missing persons. “After all, what is the reason for the investigating officer not being able to recover the missing persons,” Justice Phulapoto remarked.
The court asked what the problems are. Investigating officers have not been able to trace the missing citizens for years, the court pointed out. The court summoned IGP Sindh Mushtaq Mahar in person, who appeared before the court, and explained why the missing persons could not be recovered, the court asked.
The court remarked: “Now we will also summon the Chief Secretary Sindh, we will not allow injustice to happen to anyone.” People are worried, no one has any sense, Justice Phulapoto said.
He remarked that many Joint Investigations (JIT) and Provincial Task Force (PTF) meetings have been held but the results are zero.
Should an investigating officer be punished if PTF directive is not implemented? Justice Phulapoto inquired from the focal person. “Should an investigating officer be fired or demoted?” he remarked.
The focal person of the home department of Sindh told the court that no action has been taken against any investigating officer so far.
“What is the use of such Provincial Task Force (PTF) meetings not being able to carry out its orders,” the court says. JITs and PTF officials are unable to carry out their orders, the court said
The families of Naeem, Mohammad Ali, Arif Nizam, Reyastullah, and others came to the courtroom. The mother of the missing man, Muhammad Ali, stated before the court that her son has been missing for 8 years; now she is forced to beg.
“We are being pushed here and there, there is no one to help,” the families of the missing persons stated.
The Rangers prosecutor, Habib Ahmed, informed the court that missing citizens not detained. The court also expressed frustration over the federal government’s lawyer for not submitting a report from the detention centres. The court sought details on March 30 and adjourned the hearing till March 30.
