Supreme Court of Pakistan. - File Photo

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the Islamabad police to present an investigative report, pertaining to the case of a ‘missing person’ who was released, within the next two weeks, DawnNews reported.

A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and Justice Tariq Parvez, which had taken up the case of seven of the 11 surviving Adiyala jail prisoners, was hearing the case today.

The bench ordered the Attorney General to consult the top leadership about the role of intelligence agencies in the ‘missing persons’ cases.

The apex court issued these orders while hearing the case of 24-year-old Omar Mahmood Wali Khan who went missing on March 10 and was later found on March 17.

Omar was produced before the apex court along with his father.

The Inspector General (IG) Police said help had been sought from agencies to secure Omar’s release, but it was not sure who had held him.

Omar confessed he had no idea who his kidnappers were, adding that he was interrogated over various issues during his captivity.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry remarked that it should be probed as to who had abducted him, adding that if someone commits a crime, they should be dealt as per the law.

Omar’s father told the bench that some unidentified men had picked up his son in front of him.

“We came to Pakistan one-and-a-half years ago, and are now mulling to go back,” said his father.

The SC said in its verdict it has been ordered earlier as well that it was illegal to detain people without any case and there was no reason to have held Omar for six days, instructing the attorney general to convey this to all concerned agencies.

The bench also sought a report from the attorney general into the matter within two weeks.

Earlier on Friday, the Supreme Court had ordered the capital police chief to recover and produce Omar Mahmood, who had been picked up in broad daylight last week in the presence of his family.

Omar’s counsel had informed the court that Omar’s only crime was that he was supplying food to demonstrators demanding recovery of missing persons in Islamabad’s Parade Ground.

 

Opinion

Editorial

Digital growth
Updated 25 Apr, 2024

Digital growth

Democratising digital development will catalyse a rapid, if not immediate, improvement in human development indicators for the underserved segments of the Pakistani citizenry.
Nikah rights
25 Apr, 2024

Nikah rights

THE Supreme Court recently delivered a judgement championing the rights of women within a marriage. The ruling...
Campus crackdowns
25 Apr, 2024

Campus crackdowns

WHILE most Western governments have either been gladly facilitating Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, or meekly...
Ties with Tehran
Updated 24 Apr, 2024

Ties with Tehran

Tomorrow, if ties between Washington and Beijing nosedive, and the US asks Pakistan to reconsider CPEC, will we comply?
Working together
24 Apr, 2024

Working together

PAKISTAN’S democracy seems adrift, and no one understands this better than our politicians. The system has gone...
Farmers’ anxiety
24 Apr, 2024

Farmers’ anxiety

WHEAT prices in Punjab have plummeted far below the minimum support price owing to a bumper harvest, reckless...