KARACHI, Dec 6: The Sindh High Court issued notices to the federal and provincial law officers in two petitions alleging illegal arrests and detention for December 16. Dr Hania Wakil stated in her petition that her spouse, Dr Dawood Qasmi, a former office-bearer of the banned militant outfit Lashkar-i-Tayaba was picked up from their residence in Gulistan-i-Jauhar on Nov 30. He had recently returned from the earthquake-hit areas after carrying out relief work. When she resisted his arrest, she was told by the law enforcement personnel that they belonged to military intelligence. An officer introducing himself as Col Abdullah told her that Dr Qasmi was required by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The petitioner also alleged that the LEA personnel later raided the house of her husband’s brother in PIB Colony on Dec 2 and took into custody his 16-year-old son, Omar Zahoor. In another raid on her sister-in-law’s house in Block 6 of PECHS, her husband’s nephew, Kamran Sabir, was arrested the same day. Her father’s house in Gulshan-i-Iqbal was also raided and inmates were harassed. She said she had been receiving threats.

Advocate Nihal Hashmi, petitioner’s counsel, informed a division bench comprising Justices Ghulam Rabbani and Munib Ahmed Khan that the whereabouts of the detainees were not known. The petitioner feared that they might be handed over to the FBI. Citing the federal ministries of interior and defence and the provincial home department as respondents, she requested the court to order production and release of the detainees.

Petitioner Musarrat Parveen, meanwhile, alleged that her husband, CID officer Nasir Ahmed Shaikh, was being unlawfully detained at the CID police station, Napier, since Nov 29. He was earlier suspended from service by the CID deputy inspector-general without proper inquiry for accepting bribe.

The suspended officer was then handed to CID deputy superintendent of police Mehar Iqbal Mashwani.

The petitioner said her detained husband told her over phone that he was being held in illegal confinement without his arrest and detention having been brought on record. Citing the CID DIG as the main respondent, she prayed for production and release of her husband.