ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday directed the defense secretary and director general Inter-Services Intelligence to nominate officers to appear before the court in missing lawyer’s case.

IHC Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui, hearing a petition seeking recovery of a lawyer who went missing along with an accused in FIA’s prosecutor murder case, observed that the court order issued on July 3, 2015 summoning secretary defence and ISI representative in the case was not complied with.

The court then directed the DG ISI to depute an officer of director or above rank to brief and assist the court in the matter. But neither the representative of ISI nor secretary defence appeared before the court.

The judge remarked that he could issue contempt of court notices for secretary defence.

Additional Attorney General (AAG) Afnan Karim Kundi, however, assured the court that he would coordinate with the relevant government departments to assist the court.

The lawyer Hammad Dadan went missing on June 20 while he was with his cousin Abdullah Umar and Ammar Dadan.

Umar, an alleged Al-Qaeda suspect, was allegedly involved in the murder of FIA’s prosecutor Chaudhry Zulfiqar. He was released on bail in July last year but is currently facing trial in the murder case in Anti Terrorism Court (ATC) of Islamabad. 

The court adjourned the case till July 8.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2015

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