SUKKUR, Nov 18: Sukkur bench of the Sindh High Court on Tuesday expressed its dissatisfaction over the police performance in the case of Shaista Almani and Balkhsher Mahar as the police had failed to recover the couple or find any clue to their whereabouts.

The bench, comprising Justice Ali Aslam Jaffery and Justice Maqbool Baqar, directed Sukkur DPO Ghulam Shabbir Shaikh and Ghotki DPO Aftab Halepoto to locate the couple.

The court said the matter required special attention of police officers, including the provincial police officer, as it was apprehended that the woman might had been killed.

The police officials present at the court presented their progress report, showing that the police had been unable to locate the couple.

Imdad Awan advocate, representing the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said the police officials were misguiding the court and not giving correct information.

The court on a fresh petition filed by Mr Awan issued notices to 17 respondents, including the state, Sindh home secretary, PPO, AIGP, Sukkur range, DPOs of Sukkur and Ghotki, Mahar tribe chief Ali Gohar Khan, Bozdar tribe chief Rahim Bux, Ms Shaista’s father Himmat Ali, her uncle Khuda Bux, her brother-in-law Ajmal Khan, Alam Khan Almani, and Lal Mohammad, uncle of Balkhsher.

Notices were also issued to the Women Action Forum, Aurat Foundation, Pano Aqil TPO, Pano Aqil Cantonment SHO and the Mirpur Mathelo SHO.

The bench directed them to appear before the court on Dec 3.

The court also merged both the petitions.

Earlier, the HRCP counsel told the court that Shaista and Balkhsher were facing threat to their lives as they had married on June 1 against the will of their families.

He prayed the court to order the authorities to recover the couple, provide protection to them and declare their detention illegal. He further prayed the court to restrain the tribes from holding a Jirga to decide the fate of the couple.