• Father of missing youth protests delays, claims authorities ‘waiting for Justice Kayani’s transfer’
• Ministry given final chance to give in-camera briefing
• Govt tells court it has issued Rs5m compensation cheque

ISLAMABAD: Amid speculation regarding his possible transfer from the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani on Tuesday made it clear that he would continue to preside over the case of a missing citizen, reaffirming his resolve to proceed with the contempt petition linked to the enforced disappearance of Abdullah Omar.

During the hearing, tensions escalated in the court when the father of the missing youth, Khalid Abbasi, strongly protested over the prolonged delay.

“So much time has passed; they are only waiting for your transfer,” he alleged, adding that all avenues of justice had been closed for the family.

Justice Kayani responded that he had no objection to being transfer­red, noting that if it happened, an­­other judge would continue the proceedings. “Someone else will come and hear this case,” he remarked.

The judge once again granted the Ministry of Defence and other relevant agencies a final opportunity to present an in-camera briefing in the contempt proceedings filed by Zainab Zaeem, the wife of missing citizen Abdullah Omar, over the lack of progress in recovering his body.

The representative of the Ministry of Defence reiterated that the abducted man was not in the custody of any defence agency.

The court ordered the ministry and the federal government to furnish an in-camera briefing regarding the missing citizen. The hearing was adjourned until January.

Assistant Attorney General Usman Ghumman informed the court that the government had already issued a compensation cheque of Rs5 million to the family. He added that the officials previously fined in the case had since retired and therefore could not be penalised.

Issuing a stern warning, Justice Kayani said that failure to implement the court’s earlier order by the next hearing would entail “serious consequences.”

The 27th Amendment allows the JCP to transfer a judge from one high court to another without his consent.

Published in Dawn, November 26th, 2025