ISLAMABAD, Jan 25: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that a man accused of abducting a girl in 2004 would remain on bail until the girl is recovered and confirms the accusation. A three-member bench of the apex court comprising Justice Rana Bhagwandas, Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday and Justice Nasirul Mulk again directed the police to recover Shehla Naz who was 16 when she disappeared on July 7, 2004 in Taxila.

Her mother suspected that she had been abducted and named Usman Ghani as being involved in it. The man was arrested four days later and was booked under sections 10 and 11 of the 1979 Zina Ordinance.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Rawalpindi, Saddar Dr Moeen Masud told the bench during Wednesday’s hearing that all means, including Nadra data and finger prints, had been used to find the girl but without success so far.

On a query from the bench, the police officer said Usman Ghani had been cooperating in the investigation.

On this the bench rejected the mother’s petition seeking cancellation of the bail the accused had secured from the Lahore High Court and directed mother Mukhtar Begum to cooperate with the police.

In its order, the court ruled that Usman Ghani would remain on bail until Shehla, if recovered, accuse him of involvement in her abduction. Only then the case should be proceeded in the Lahore High Court, the order said.

The Supreme Court passed orders for the recovery of the girl and issued deadlines to the Punjab police several times for recovering her but she remains untraced.

APP adds: The same bench in another case directed Sheikhupura district police officer to ensure the recovery of a girl Shehar Bano within two months and ordered to produce her before the court of a magistrate for recording her statement.

The bench expressed dissatisfaction over the progress report submitted by Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Investigation Wing, Zawwar Hussain and directed to make all out efforts for the recovery of the girl, who was allegedly abducted one-and-a-half year ago from Muridkay.

Sher Bano’s father, Rai Mubashar Ahmed Khan, who has filed an application for recovery of her daughter, also appeared before the court on Wednesday.

The bench directed Rai Mubashar to cooperate with the police till the recovery of the girl.

The DSP informed the bench that the police had already arrested three accused who were nominated by the father of the girl after the registration of FIR against them.

LHC building case: The same bench also adjourned the hearing of Lahore High Court building demolition case due to the absence of the LHC counsel Malik Muhammad Azam Rasool who is on general adjournment.

Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan appeared before the court on behalf of the petitioner, Ahmed Awais, former president Lahore High Court Bar Association, who has filed the petition in the court against demolition of the LHC building and the violation of the report prepared by a three-member committee headed by Federal Secretary Ministry of Law, Justice (retd) Mansoor Ahmed Khan.

The apex court has already stayed the demolition of the building.

NAB REFERENCE: The bench directed a Rawalpindi accountability court to decide a reference against Tariq Iqbal Khan, a former engineer of the defunct Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation for corruption of Rs95 million.