ISLAMABAD, July 16: Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday summoned the Inspector General of Punjab police and directed him to produce the missing activist of banned outfit Hizbut Tahrir (HuT) by July 25.

The court warned the concerned police officials would be sent to Adiala Jail if the missing person could not be recovered by the said date.

Justice Siddiqui passed the order while hearing the petition of an advocate Sadia Rahat for the recovery of her missing husband Naveed Butt, a spokesperson for HuT.

Umer Hayat Sandhu, the petitioner’s counsel told the court that despite repeated directions of the court the law enforcement agencies had failed to recover Naveed.

The court on July 3, had directed the Lahore Model Town Superintendent of Police (Investigation) Ijaz Shafi and Lahore Liaquatabad Station House Officer (SHO) Khurshid Alam to produce Mr Butt on July 13.

On Monday Justice Siddiqui informed the SP to bring his suitcases along in case the missing person was not recovered as he might be sent to jail along with other officials where he would stay during the month of Ramazan.

According to the petition, Butt went missing on May 5. Sandhu alleged in the court that Butt was detained by the officials of spy agencies.

He said his client was on his way to pick up his children from school when intelligence agencies’ officials allegedly kidnapped him near Liaquatabad. He further alleged that Butt had been receiving threatening calls from unknown callers since long.

Top level varsity employees axed

The same court declared illegal the appointment of a professor and a director of International Islamic University, Islamabad (IIUI) and directed the varsity administration to fill the vacant post within two months after advertising it in the national press. Javed Akbar Shah, counsel for 11 professors of the IIUI, had challenged the appointment of a professor of political science and international relations Sohail Mehmood and director institution of professional development of the university Riaz Ahmed as, according to him, both had allegedly been appointed in violation of prescribed criteria.

Advocate Shah told the court that the said appointments were made without advertising them in the press and added that the contractual appointment of professor Mehmood and director Ahmed had blocked the promotion of other regular staff.

He pointed out that the judgments of superior courts had been discouraging for long the trend of contractual appointments on the key positions.

He further alleged that the rector and the board of governors (BOG) of the university accommodated their favorite persons on the said positions.

Rehanuddin Khan, the standing counsel for the federal government said the university administration was competent to make suitable appointments against the vacant positions and the said appointments had been made in accordance with the law.

Yet in another case, the IHC directed the SSP Rawalpindi to register case against the officials of the Adiala Jail who did not release a female prisoner.

Advocate Kazim Khan told the court that Rukhsana was arrested in a minor offence, the court accepted her bail plea about a month back, but after fulfilling all the legal requirements the police authorities did not release her.

The court directed the jail administration for the immediate release of Rukhsana and her five-year-old son and adjourned the hearing for a week.