Police, Rangers to recover 20 missing persons by August 10

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed on Thursday the Rangers and police to recover over 20 missing persons till August, while expressing it displeasure over their performance in the matter.

An SHC division bench, headed by Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi, was hearing a case about over 20 persons who went missing after they were allegedly picked up by law enforcement agencies at different times.

Justice Rizvi observed that both the Rangers and police, instead of recovering the missing persons or investigating the matter, had made a habit of filing a similar reply every time that they had checked all possible places but could not find them.

The bench observed that, despite being given a month’s time, the police had not submitted the progress report in the missing persons matter. Similarly, the Rangers should also help in the recovery process as it does in the arresting process, it added.

The bench directed them to recover the missing persons and produce them in court by August 10.

Meanwhile, the same bench directed the Rangers to file its response, along with an affidavit, in a missing person case.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by a woman, Shamim Akhtar, who claimed that the paramilitary force picked up her son, Fahad, on March 16 in Korangi Industrial Area and since then he had been missing.

On the court’s direction, the paramilitary force’s counsel, Habib Ahmed, argued that when his client had responded that it was not involved in the matter then there should be no need for the affidavit.

Justice Rizvi observed that the affidavit was necessary to ascertain the responsible person or persons involved in the forced abduction. He added that in all the cases in which the paramilitary force is alleged to have abducted someone, an affidavit would be necessary.

The bench allowed two weeks to the respondent to file its comments and the affidavit.

Source: The Express Tribune