KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has directed the federal and provincial authorities to collect information and submit reports regarding whereabouts of missing persons.

When a two-judge bench headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto took up a set of petitions seeking recovery of missing persons, parents of Umar Zaman, who was allegedly picked up by the personnel of law enforcement agencies in 2014, submitted that there was no clue to their son since his disappearance.

The bench observed that several sessions of joint investigation team (JIT) on missing persons and provincial task force (PTF) had been held, but to no avail and the petitioner appeared to be disappointed.

It also expressed dissatisfaction over the report filed by the investigating officer of the case and directed the inspector general of police to assign probe of the case to the SSP (investigation) concerned to make all possible efforts for the recovery of the missing person.

Another petitioner submitted that his son, Kamran Kamal, was allegedly picked up by Rangers in 2016 in Shah Latif Town. However, the lawyer for paramilitary force denied the allegation.

The bench noted that since October no session of the PTF was held in the present case despite an earlier order that sessions must be held every month. “But it has not been complied with and thus the chief secretary Sindh is directed to ensure that meeting of PTF be held every month,” it added.

It further ordered the interior secretary to collect reports from internment centres in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regarding whereabouts of both the missing persons and file reports till March 12.

It also asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to collect the travelling history of both the men and place before it by the next hearing.

Meanwhile, the same bench has summoned the IGP on Feb 25 along with a report about another missing person.

The petitioner, Mohammad Nawaz, submitted that he along with his brother, Mohammad Amin, and nephew, Mohammad Ilyas, were picked up in 2009 by personnel of law enforcement agencies and later he was handed over to police in an illicit weapon case.

The petitioner maintained that he was acquitted by the trial court, but the whereabouts of his brother and nephew were not known since their arrest.

“We have observed that the JIT sessions must be held every month in number of cases as liberty of a person is supreme as guaranteed by the constitution,” the bench said and added that unfortunately the court orders had not been complied with.

It directed the IGP-Sindh to collect information from all the SSPs concerned with reasons for an inordinate delay in tracing and recovering the missing persons and to appear in person on the next date along with the relevant record.

Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2021