HYDERABAD, May 11: A division bench of the Sindh High Court, Hyderabad, on Wednesday directed DPOs of Jamshoro and Dadu to locate missing Mohammad Umer. The bench, comprising Justice Mohammad Mujeebullah Siddiqui and Justice Mohammad Moosa K. Leghari, also ordered the police officers to appear in the court on the next date of hearing if they failed to trace Umer.

The court also directed the standing counsel for the deputy attorney-general to send reminders to federal secretaries for defence and interior, provincial home secretary, PPO, and the RPO to submit detailed reports after obtaining necessary information from people concerned. It said non-compliance should be treated as contempt of court and necessary proceedings would be initiated against those who did not comply with the order.

The order was passed on a petition filed by Mohammad Siddiq alleging arrest of his son, Mohammad Umer.

Sindh Additional Advocate-General Masood A. Noorani filed statements on behalf of the DPOs of Jamshoro and Dadu.

He stated that according to their record, Jamshoro and Dadu police had not arrested the petitioner’s son.

The court described the statements as unsatisfactory because during the last hearing the police officers had been directed to search and locate the missing person.

The court said if the police officers failed to locate the man, it would be treated as failure on their part to perform their duty as police officers.

It also gave another opportunity to the in charge of the Military Intelligence to appear in the court after the standing counsel for the deputy attorney general, Hakim Ali Siddiqui, said he had written a letter to people concerned, including the MI officer, but had not received any response.

The bench said if the MI officer did not appear in the court, action would be taken to ensure his attendance.

The matter was adjourned till May 25.

According to the petitioner, he and his son had been picked up by police on Aug 4, 2004, and kept in separate rooms. He said he had been released on Aug 30 after being interrogated about the murder of Mufti Nizamuddin Shamzai.

He denied that his family had any connection with any organization or terrorists. He said his son had been working in Saudi Arabia and had come to see his family.