KARACHI, April 8 The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the provincial police chief to take “personal interest” to effect the recovery of Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) leader Akaash Mallah and his aide, who had gone missing in October last year.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain was seized with the hearing of a human rights complaint filed by Anwar Mallah, the brother of Akaash Mallah.

The applicant submitted that his brother along with Noor Mohammed Khaskheli disappeared on Oct 31, 2009 when the two were going to a mosque in Gulistan-i-Sajjah, Hyderabad, to offer Friday prayers.He alleged that personnel of the law-enforcement agencies in civvies whisked away the two leaders and had been keeping them in custody since then.

On Thursday, Hyderabad DIG Tahir Naveed and DPO Javed Odho, DSP Sikandar Bhatti, Bhittai Nagar SHO Ghulam Mohammad Memon and AIG (Legal) Anwar Alam Subhani appeared in the court and denied having arrested or detained the two men.

Sindh Advocate-General Mohammad Yousuf Leghari and a section officer from the interior ministry were also present.

The bench, which had earlier ordered the respondent police officials to locate the missing persons and produce them in the court, expressed displeasure when it was informed that their whereabouts could not be known.

The chief justice ordered the police officials to produce the missing persons within half an hour or be ready to be arrested.

Later, the police officials turned up along with AIG legal Anwar Alam Subhani who submitted in court that the police were ready to arrest the respondent police officials if so desired by the apex court.

The chief justice, however, remarked that there was no use of getting the police officials arrested as no one could interrogate them.

The CJP also expressed his dissatisfaction over a report submitted by the police authorities.

The advocate-general submitted in the court that efforts were being made for the recovery of the missing persons.

The bench observed in its order “The PPO Sindh is directed to take personal interest in order to effect the recovery of the abductees and submit a comprehensive report within a period of one month to the registrar for our perusal in chamber.”

The court adjourned the hearing to a date to be fixed by the court's office during the next session in the city.

Oil tankers terminal case

The same bench put off till Friday the hearing of a petition seeking shifting of the oil tankers terminal in Shireen Jinnah Colony.

Shagufta Bibi, a resident of Clifton's Block-1, had sent a letter to the CJP praying for the shifting of the terminal from the locality to some other area. The CJP, later, converted the letter into a constitutional petition.

The petitioner complained that oil tankers were parked on both sides of the main road in Clifton's Block-1 and its surrounding area.

Besides, she said, a number of auto workshops also sprung up in the locality making the lives of the area residents miserable.