KARACHI: The issue pertaining to the recovery of 29 people found in illegal police custody during a raid conducted by a judicial magistrate on Oct 3 came to an abrupt end on Tuesday when the counsel for the mother of a detainee submitted that his client did not want to pursue the case any further.

Advocate Masood Afridi, who had filed a habeas corpus application on behalf of Sher Zaman’s mother, informed Additional District and Sessions Judge (South) Fareeha Sanobar Naz that the applicant did not want to pursue the matter any further, as the purpose of her application had already been served.

He sought permission to withdraw the application.

At the outset of the hearing, the SHO of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) police station appeared in court and submitted that the 29 persons recovered in the raid were actually detained under Section 54 (when police may arrest without warrant) of the criminal procedure code.

He also submitted the record of the arrest of 29 people in court.

After a brief hearing and examining the record, the judge disposed of the application.

On Monday, a judicial magistrate had submitted a report before the sessions court and stated that he raided a place near Garden Police Headquarters and found 29 persons, including a woman, in the alleged illegal custody of two SIU personnel.

The report said that the SIU officials failed to produce any record when the magistrate asked them to produce any documents showing lawful authority for the detention of the recovered persons.

He submitted that all the recovered persons were freed on personal bonds.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2026