KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday approved pre-arrest bail of two former officers of the Sindh Technical and Vocational Training Authority (Stevta) in an inquiry into illegal appointments in the body.

A two-judge bench headed by Justice Syed Mohammad Farooq Shah gave deputy director (administration) Zulfiqar Ali and deputy secretary (admin) Munir Shaikh protective bail in the sum of Rs300,000.

The bench also put off the hearing of the bail application of Stevta managing director, Hafeezullah Abbasi, to a date to be later pronounced by the court’s office.

The applicants moved the SHC through petitions apprehending their arrest by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) that had launched an inquiry against the top officials of the authority for allegedly making thousands of illegal appointments.

Missing persons’ cases

The SHC directed the home secretary, provincial chiefs of police, Rangers and others to file their respective replies on different constitutional petitions seeking whereabouts of three young men who have been missing since they were allegedly taken away by the personnel of law-enforcement agencies in different parts of the city.

Headed by Justice Farooq Shah, a two-judge bench also directed the law officer of the paramilitary force to submit detailed and comprehensive comments on the petitions alleging that missing persons — Imran Khan, Abdul Qayyum and Ataullah — were whisked away by the law enforcers during raids at their respective houses.

The separate but identical petitions were filed by Mohammed Rehan Khan, father of missing Imran, Shabana Begum, wife of Abdul Qayyum and Maulvi Noor Mohammad, father of missing Ataullah, residents of different localities within the police remit of Model Colony, Garden and Zaman Town respectively.

The petitioners impleaded the home secretary, inspector general of police, director general of Rangers, DIGs, SSPs and SHOs concerned as respondents.

The petitioners said that Imran, Qayyum and Ataullah were taken away by the personnel of law-enforcement agencies on Feb 27, March 9 and Feb 18 respectively.

They said that the area police and other high officials of the LEAs were approached by the missing men’s families, but in vain as the officials feigned ignorance about the arrest and detention of their relatives.

The petitioners said that the missing men were not involved in any criminal activity or case, yet they were taken away by the law enforcers.

The relatives of the missing persons prayed to the court to direct the respondent authorities to trace their dear ones and produce them in court.

The bench directed the respondent officials to file their comments within two weeks and put off the hearing to a date to be later pronounced by the court’s office.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2017