The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Saturday directed authorities to recover "missing" Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) official Sajid Gondal by 2pm on Monday.

The court gave these orders during hearing of a habeas corpus petition filed yesterday by Gondal's mother, Asmat Bibi.

During the hearing, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah said that the interior secretary and the chief commissioner would need to appear before the court if Gondal was not recovered in the stipulated time frame.

The court also directed that the matter be referred to the federal cabinet, stating that it should be taken up at the next cabinet meeting if Gondal is not found. A copy of the court order was also forwarded to the Cabinet Division secretary.

During the hearing, Gondal's mother contended that her son, who had been missing since Thursday evening, did not have enmity with anyone.

"The abduction of a citizen from the capital in such a manner is extremely alarming," remarked Justice Minallah during the hearing.

In the petition, Asmat Bibi said her son had gone to his office on September 3 and returned back home in the evening.

At about 7:30pm, Gondal left his home, situated in Shahzad Town, but never came back. His car was found parked on Main Park Road, near the National Agriculture Research Centre office, Islamabad.

The petition said Gondal’s whereabouts were not known even after the passage of two days and the petitioner, being a poor person, was moving from pillar to post in search of her son.

It added that the petitioner, along with another relative, visited the police station and approached the Shahzad Town police station SHO, but authorities were reluctant to give any clues about her son.

“The petitioner is clueless about what to do and helpless due to her inability to find her son,” the petition said, adding that Asmat Bibi wanted to bring the matter to the notice of the court through the writ petition seeking to protect her fundamental rights.

She expressed the apprehension that her son may be mentally and physically tortured as his whereabouts were unknown and his life was also in danger.

According to the petition, Gondal is a government servant and there were chances that he was picked up by unknown persons in connection with his official duties.

The victim's mother requested the court to summon the respondents, namely the secretaries of defence and interior, the inspector general of police and the Shahzad Town SHO in person and direct them to produce her missing son before the court.

She also sought a directive for the interior secretary to take action against those who failed to protect the life and dignity of citizens.