KARACHI, Aug 25: The Federal Shariat Court directed the Bahawalpur senior superintendent of police to conduct raids to recover a girl kidnapped from Karachi three years ago and asked a Sindh government law officer to submit a progress report in respect of efforts made by the Karachi police to locate her.

The matter came up before the court during hearing of an appeal moved by two people, Jehangir Shah and Faisal, against their conviction and sentences for kidnapping Bibi Ali Noor.

Her father, Shaikh Aziz, the complainant in the case, submitted an application, saying that while the offenders had been tried, their victim had not been recovered so far. She was allegedly being detained by Mian Masood Wattoo at Bahawalpur.

The complainant also maintained that when he visited the Gulshan-i-Iqbal and Gulistan-i-Jauhar police stations to seek police assistance in his daughter's recovery, he was not given a hearing.

The additional SHO of Gulistan-i-Jauhar, in fact, used derogatory remarks against the judiciary and judges. The court asked the town police officer of Gulshan-i-Iqbal to hold an inquiry into the allegations of misbehaviour levelled by Shaikh Aziz against the additional SHO. Both the police officials were present in the court in response to summons issued by it.

The court asked Assistant Advocate-General Arshad Lodhi to assist it in providing relief to the complainant father. The matter could not be hushed up because the life of a girl abducted three years ago was involved.

The Karachi police was bound to recover her even if she had been taken to Bahawalpur. If she had been killed as apprehended by her father, her body should be recovered and the culprits tried for murder. The Bahawalpur police was equally responsible for her safety and recovery.

The court also asked the police to duly entertain the complaint of Shaikh Aziz and register a case against all the people nominated by him. The police should also proceed with despatch in investigating the case. It deplored the police indifference to the fate of a girl kidnapped three years ago.

The FSC bench seized of the case consisted of Mian Saeedur Rehman and S A Rabbani. It decided to continue hearing of the convicts' appeal and the complainant father's application at the court's principal seat at Islamabad.

Short dates should henceforth be given to expedite the matter, it directed. The AAG was asked to submit a report about progress in efforts for recovery of the girl on every date of hearing.