SHC asks LEAs to work together for recovery of missing persons

KARACHI: Sindh High Court (SHC) on Wednesday directed all Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to ensure cooperation with each other for the recovery of more than 40 missing persons and seek reply from the federal government pertaining in this regard.

A two-member bench of the SHC, headed by Justice Naimtullah Phulputo, heard a set of pleas seeking recovery of the missing persons and directed the police to take measures for the recovery of missing men, apart from paper work.

A large number of families of different missing citizens appeared before the bench and informed the court about their grief and unending wait for their beloved ones.

Sameena, a mother of missing citizen, Umar Zaman, told the court that her son was taken away from city court in 2014. ‘’The police produced my son in the court by registering a fake First Information Registration (FIR) and also took away my husband, later they released my husband but my son is still missing,’’ Sameena told the court.

Another mother of missing man, Mujahid Ali, crying before the bench, stated that two year ago, LEAs took away her son from Abid town. ‘’My son was working in press cutting and he had nothing to do with anyone,’’ she said.

Rafiq Ahmed, father of Wajid Ali, who has disappeared since 2018, stated before the bench that his son Wajid has disappeared from Gulistan-e-Johar in 2018. ‘’My son is a student of Matriculation, no any intelligence agency or police department was cooperating to recover my son,’’ Rafiq told the court.

‘’Either these are law enforcers or law violating institutions, no people disappears in any law of world, ’’ sister of another missing citizen Ali Mehdi stated. She said there was no any law to ask the LEAs pertaining to the missing citizen. ‘’My brother Ali Mehdi was taken by LEAs in 2018 from his home in Nazimabad,’’ she informed the bench.

The bench expressed its annoyance at Police and LEAs and remarked that despite the lapse of many years, there was no clue yet to whereabouts of missing persons. “When will you recover missing persons?” the bench asked the LEAs and police. Justice Phulputo remarked that apart from paperwork, work for the recovery of missing persons should also be done. The bench also asked the LEAs and police to work together for the recovery of missing citizens.

The bench directed the Sind police and LEAs to submit their progress report pertaining to the recovery of missing citizen until 22 May.

The court adjourned the hearing till 22 May.