KARACHI, July 10: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday was informed that the whereabouts of an activist of the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) could not be ascertained, although police teams made efforts to track down him in different localities.

A division bench comprising Justices Syed Hasan Azhar Rizvi and Salahuddin Panhwar once again directed the police chief of Sukkur to submit within two weeks the progress report regarding the efforts made for the recovery of the missing political worker.

According to the petitioner, Qabil Khoso, his brother Sohbat Khoso and Ikhtiar Chandio belonging to the JSQM along with their friend were picked up allegedly by law-enforcement agencies near the Ranipur Toll Plaza on March 16, 2011.

He stated that Mr Chandio and their friend had been shown to have been arrested in some railway track blast cases but the whereabouts of his brother was still unknown.

He alleged that the detainee was in the custody of the Inter-Services Intelligence.

During one of the previous hearings, a federal law officer filed comments on behalf of the ISI denying the arrest or detention of the petitioner’s brother.

On Tuesday, acting DIG of Sukkur submitted a progress report stating that several police teams searched different localities but the whereabouts of the detainee could not be ascertained.

He submitted that the joint investigation team constituted for locating the missing person with the Khairpur SSP being its head was directed to make all efforts to trace the whereabouts of a detainee

The bench directed the Sukkur DIG to submit the progress report regarding whereabouts of the JSQM activist within two weeks and adjourned the hearing to Aug 7.

Meanwhile, the same bench directed the Hyderabad City SHO to file a report and produce a detainee in court till July 31.

Mukhtar Begum, a resident of Hyderabad, filed a petition in the SHC submitting that her son, Faqir Najeeb Qureshi, a political worker, was picked up by the police in his house in Bhittaiabad on June 2.

However, she contended that the detainee was being kept in illegal detention as the police had neither produced him in any court of law nor had he been released.

On Tuesday, the SHO of the Hyderabad City police station submitted a progress report into the matter and stated that the petitioner’s son was not arrested or detained.

However, he said, the missing man was wanted in two criminal cases.

He said that all possible efforts were being made by the police to trace the missing person.

The bench also asked the petitioner to approach the DIG within three days.

Operation of show-cause notice suspended A division bench headed by Justice Syed Hasan Rizvi suspended the operation of a show-cause notice issued to the in charge of a complaint cell, who moved the court through a constitutional petition apprehending his removal from the service.

The petition was filed by Inspector Rizwan Mehmood who impleaded the home secretary, provincial police chief, DIG of Sindh Reserve Police, Sharfuddin Memon, a consultant of the provincial government for police and home affairs, and SP Rukhsar Ahmed of the SRP as respondents.

The petitioner, represented by Advocate Nasir Ahmed, submitted in the petition that the home department opened a complain cell in Sept 2010 for redress of general public grievances and he was appointed as in charge of the cell in June 2011.

He said that during his posting as the in charge from Nov 2011 to April 2012 he solved several complaints of civil nature and received appreciation letters from the complainants.

However, the petitioner said, the respondent consultant of the home department issued him a show-cause letter without giving any reasons or allegations.

He said that he requested to the respondent to mention clearly allegations leveled against him, but to no avail.

The petitioner stated that later he was issued a final show-cause notice by the respondent without holding any inquiry and giving him opportunity of personal hearing as required under the rules and regulations.

He said that the procedure adopted by the respondent SP in issuance of the show-cause notice was not admissible in the law as no one could be condemn unheard.

The petitioner police officer apprehended that it seemed that the respondents at the behest of the respondent consultant had pre-planned and decided to remove him from the police service by adopting illegal procedure.

He prayed to the court to direct the respondents to adopt the procedure of taking action against him in accordance with law.

The petitioner also prayed to the court to suspend the operation of the show-cause notice against him.

On Tuesday, the petitioner’s counsel moved an urgent application seeking immediate suspension of operation of the show-cause notice issued to his client by the SP of SRP.

Advocate Nasir Ahmed submitted that respondent Sharfuddin Memon was a political person belonging to the ruling party and he was using the SP as cutting tool to victimise his client.

He apprehended that the SP could pass any adverse order against the petitioner under the influence of respondent Memon and prayed to the court to suspend the operation of the show-cause notice till final disposal of the case.

The bench granted his application and issued notices to the respondents and the advocate general for July 13.