KARACHI, June 20: The Sindh High Court warned the inspector-general of police on Tuesday that action would be taken against him if he failed to appear again on the next date of hearing of a petition agitating the alleged arrest and detention of Jamhoori Watan Party vice-president Salim Baloch.

The JWP leader was allegedly picked up by plainclothes policemen at Kalakot on March 10 and handed to federal authorities. On the previous date of hearing, a division bench had asked the IGP and the directors of Military Intelligence and Federal Investigation Unit to either recover and produce the detainee after ascertaining his whereabouts or appear personally on June 20 to explain why he could not be recovered.

As the petition came up before another vacation division bench, comprising Justices Mushir Alam and Mohammad Athar Saeed, the federal government counsel Mahmood Alam Rizvi and Additional Advocate-General Abbas Ali submitted that they had sent copies of the court order to the respondents concerned.

Advocate Noor Naz Agha, counsel for the petitioner, said respondents should have produced the detainee or appeared personally on Tuesday.

The bench took a serious view of non-compliance with court orders and adjourned the hearing to June 29 when the federal and provincial attorneys undertook to ensure compliance with the court order.

Agreeing with the petitioner’s counsel that at least the IGP, who is based in Karachi, should have appeared, the bench told the attorneys that action would be taken against him if he again fails to comply with the orders on the next date of hearing.