LAHORE: The city police on Monday told the Lahore High Court (LHC) that an alleged abducted Baloch student was in fact arrested by the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) in connection with investigation into the recent suicide blast at Karachi University (KU) and shifted to Karachi.

Justice Mohammad Tariq Nadeem of the LHC was hearing a habeas corpus petition seeking recovery of Bebgar Imdad, a student of an Islamabad university, who was allegedly picked up by security agencies from a hostel of Punjab University (PU) where he was visiting his relative.

On the court’s directive, a report was submitted on behalf of the capital city police saying an investigation team of the CTD took Imdad into custody for investigation into the suicide blast at KU.

The report said PU chief security officer retired Col Abdullah was contacted by the Lahore police for verification of an application filed against the alleged abduction. However, it said, the security officer confirmed the arrest of the student by the CTD.

The report said the security officer assisted the police team to arrest the student from the PU hostel.

Counsel for the petitioner Asad Jamal after going through the police report, raised various legal questions on the arrest and transfer of the student from Lahore to Karachi.

He argued that there were some legal requirements the CTD-Karachi was supposed to meet before arresting the student and shifting him to another station.

The counsel said the Karachi police were required to seek permission from the Punjab home department to make any arrest in the province.

He said that not only the arrest of the student but his shifting to Karachi without seeking a transit remand from a court of law was also illegal.

The judge adjourned further hearing till Tuesday (today) and directed the police to apprise the court whether the legal requirements were fulfilled before the arrest of the petitioner’s cousin.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2022