• Court orders SIU official to file records of ‘illegally detained’ persons today
• CM Murad asks Human Rights Dept to form committee for transparent probe

KARACHI: A judicial magistrate informed a sessions court on Monday that he had raided a place near the Garden Police Headquarters and recovered 29 people, including a woman, kept in illegal police custody.

The incident drew the ire of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, who took notice of the “illegal detention of 29 persons, including a female cancer patient, in a private torture cell” and ordered the Human Rights Department to conduct a transparent inquiry.

On Oct 3, Advocate Masood Afridi had filed a habeas corpus application before the additional district and sessions judge (South) seeking recovery of alleged illegal detainee Sher Zaman who was picked up by police on Oct 2, upon which the judge directed Judicial Magistrate (South) Naeem Akhtar to conduct the raid.

On Monday, the magistrate informed the sessions court that acting on its directions, he had on Oct 3 conducted the raid, along with judicial staff and the applicant, on a plot, where he recovered Mr Zaman and 28 other detainees.

He stated that a woman was also found on the same premises along with other male detainees. He added that at the time of the raid, no female police officer or other female staff member was present on the premises for her custody, supervision or protection.

In his report to the sessions judge, the magistrate observed that at the time of the raid, the 29 persons were found in the custody of Special Investigation Unit (SIU) Head Constable Faisal Shah and Constable Jahanziab.

He added that two other policemen belonging to the Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC) — Assistant Sub-Inspector Tahir Khan and Constable Abdul Wahab — were also present in uniform, while a police mobile, a private car and a prison van were also parked there.

The magistrate further stated that the premises from which the detainees were recovered did not form part of the notified or regular premises of either the SIU or AVCC police stations, nor was the place situated within their respective territorial jurisdictions.

He added that the premises appeared to be an old compound belonging to Civil Defence authorities situated opposite the Police Headquarters Garden, within the jurisdiction of the Nabi Bux police station.

The report said that when the magistrate asked the officials of the SIU and AVCC to produce records or any other documents showing lawful authority for the detention of the recovered persons, they failed to produce any record or document regarding their arrest or detention despite being given repeated opportunities.

At that time, the magistrate called the Nabi Bux SHO and also contacted the Madadgar 15 helpline. In order to complete legal and codal formalities, all the alleged “illegally detained” persons were shifted to the Nabi Bux police station and were later released on personal bonds, the report said.

On Monday, the additional district and sessions judge examined the reports filed by the magistrate and the SHO of Nabi Bux police station and directed the SHO of the SIU police station to submit a report along with the records of the “illegally detained” persons on Tuesday (today).

Meanwhile, the chief minister took notice of the incident and sought a report from the provincial and city police chiefs.

“The Human Rights Department should form a committee for a transparent and independent investigation of the incident,” he said.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2026