ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday sought a report from the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances on a complaint registered in connection with a missing engineer.

According to the petition filed by Prof Mohammad Sharif, his 27-year-old son, Suleman Farooq, who is an electrical engineer, went missing from Phase III of Bahria Town, Rawalpindi, on Oct 4.

The petitioner then approached the Lohi Bher police station and got registered an FIR (first information report) of the disappearance of his son.

According to the petitioner, his 27-year-old son went missing from Bahria Town, Rawalpindi, on Oct 4

According to the petition, Farooq was apparently picked up by a powerful organisation and his father is running from pillar to post to know the whereabouts of his son.

He said that a complaint had also been filed with the chairman of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, but to no avail.

The petitioner requested the court to direct security agencies and the relevant department of the federal government to find the whereabouts of his missing son, and in case he had committed any offence, he should be dealt with in accordance with the law.

In a related case, the mother of a missing person, Imran Khan, petitioned before the IHC for the recovery of her son who is a computer engineer and was working in the UAE.

In the petition, she said her son Imran Khan was picked up from his home situated at Sector G-10 of Islamabad and was taken to some unknown location in a double-cabin vehicle. According to the petition, Imran went missing some four years back and the family got registered an FIR with the local police. However, the police failed to recover him despite a lapse of four years.

The petitioner then took up the matter with the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances and during the hearing by the commission it was concluded that the case of Imran fell under enforced disappearances and law enforcement agencies were asked to find his whereabouts.

As per petition, Imran’s disappearance has adversely affected the life of his family members.

Imran is married and has a six-year-old son. His wife filed a suit for dissolution of marriage on the basis of khula on the ground of prolonged absence of her husband. The family judge of Islamabad dissolved the marriage and handed over Imran’s son to his mother.

The petition said that Imran was an educated professional and there was no case or complaint registered against him in any police station. If there was anything against him then he should have been brought before the court of law.

It said the arrest was a violation of the constitutional provisions that ensured fundamental rights of citizens.

The petition requested the court that the officials concerned namely secretaries of interior and defence, the directors general of Inter-Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence, chairman of the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances, commissioner and inspector general of the Islamabad police might be directed to produce Imran before the court if there was any case registered against him.

The IHC after hearing the arguments on the petition sought comments from the respondents and adjourned the proceedings to a fortnight.

Published in Dawn, November 1st, 2019

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