ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has sought a report from the defence ministry in a case about a missing person after the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearance (CIED) concluded that the matter pertained to enforced disappearance.

A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, Justice Nasirul Mulk and Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan took up on Wednesday the case of Atiquer Rehman, an engineering student at the University of Lahore, who had gone missing from Ferozwala in Sheikhupura in July 2012.

The court asked Additional Attorney General Tariq Khokhar to inform the defence ministry about the entire situation, especially in the light of a fresh report submitted on behalf of the Inter-Services Intelligence and the Military Intelligence on Tuesday. The two premier agencies claimed that they had neither picked up Rehman nor had any information about his whereabouts.

On the other hand, the CIED in its findings said on Tuesday that prima facie the case of Atiquer Rehman was of enforced disappearance and the intelligence agencies should be asked for his whereabouts and recovery.

Tariq Khokhar informed the court that Atiquer Rehman had received in July last year a phone call from his friend Abdul Wahid for a meeting. Both met at a place near Ferozwala police station and bought some snacks from a nearby shop. They were later picked up by a raiding team comprising personnel from Punjab police, some plainclothes policemen and commandos.

Four of the seven eyewitnesses said in their statements that the policemen and commandos who had come to pick up Rehman and his friend in different vehicles were in their respective uniforms.

Abdul Wahid was released after four months and he said in his statement that he and Rehman had been kept separately during captivity.

A joint investigation team comprising officials of intelligence agencies and civil security agencies sought more time to complete the probe into the case.

The court will resume hearing after 10 days to consider a report to be submitted by the additional attorney general after informing the defence ministry about the issue.