KARACHI: Agencies get further time for filing comments: Whereabouts of activists
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Aug 16: A division bench of the Sindh High Court asked the provincial police officer on Wednesday to remain in touch with the ministries of interior and defence and intelligence agencies to ascertain the whereabouts of five alleged detainees.
The PPO had earlier submitted a statement from a defence ministry joint secretary saying that the Military Intelligence, the Inter-Services Intelligence and other agencies had been conveyed the court order in respect of Abdul Rauf Sasoli, Jamhoory Watan Party deputy secretary-general, JWP vice-chairman Salim Baloch and Karachi JWP official Saeed Brohi and former student Affan Laghari. Compliance reports were expected by Aug 15.
The bench, which consists of Justices Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Ali Sain Dino Metlo, was informed on Wednesday that replies from some of the agencies were still awaited. The bench was requested to allow more time to seek the relevant information. Granting the request, the bench fixed Sept 19 as the next date of hearing and asked the PPO to submit the replies by that date.
Appearing for the three JWP officials and missing estate dealer Brahim Swaleh, Advocate Noor Naz Agha reiterated that according to information received by the petitioners, the detainees were in the custody of the Military Intelligence. Affan Laghari’s counsel also made an identical statement.
DIRECTIVE TO FIA: The Sindh High Court on Wednesday directed the FIA's immigration officials at Karachi Airport to file their personal affidavits on Aug 22 on a petition against illegal detention of an ex-navy officer allegedly by the law-enforcement agencies since July 3 soon after his deportation from Dubai, adds PPI.
Zohra Masooma alleged that her spouse, Syed Mumtaz Hussain, an ex-Navy officier, who was now working in Dubai as senior IT administrator, was arrested by the LEAs at Karachi airport on his return from Dubai to Karachi.
She said the whereabouts of the detainee are not known since July 3 and neither he was shown arrested nor produced in any court of law.
As the matter was taken up before SHC's division bench, comprising Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Justice Ali Sain Dino Metlo, FIA's immigration control officer Imtiaz Memon appeared on court notice and submitted that the petitioner's spouse was cleared by co-officer ASI Ms Nadia Gul at the immigration counter.
He expressed his ignorance about the whereabouts of Mumtaz Hussain once he was cleared.
Petitioner's counsel Rasheed A Rizvi challenged the statement of FIA official and submitted that according to the petitioner the FIA official had handed the detainee to civil persons who took him away from airport.
He prayed the court to direct the concerned FIA official to file their personal affidavit with regard to whereabouts of petitioner's spouse.
The court, granting the request, directed concerned the FIA officials to file their affidavits on the next date of hearing.
Meanwhile, the same court also adjourned hearing of petitions against detention of Munir Mengal, a TV director of Baloch Voice (missing since April 4, 2006) and Askari Raza (missing since June 24) till Aug 22.
