SHC seeks comments from agencies over builder’s ‘illegal detention’

By Jamal Khurshid
June 07, 2016

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Mirza Naqi Mehmood was taken into custody on April 23, 2015
and his whereabouts remain unknown since

Karachi

The Sindh High Court told the top intelligence agencies of the country on Monday to file comments on a petition of a woman alleging that law enforcement agencies had not disclosed the whereabouts of her husband since April 23, 2015, when they had taken him into custody.

In her petition, Afia Naqi Mehmood challenged the alleged detention of her spouse, Mirza Mehmood Baig, who had been taken away by law enforcers from Gulsan-e-Iqbal.

The investigation officer of the case filed comments submitting that efforts were being made by a joint investigation team to trace Baig’s whereabouts.

According to a report of the team, Baig was in the construction business and building a bungalow of Dr Junaid Ali Shah, son of the late MPA of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Dr Ali Mohammad Shah. The report said there was a payment dispute between the two, but the issue was later resolved.

The petitioner’s counsel, Mohammad Farooq, told to the high court that more than a year had already lapsed, but the whereabouts of the detainee were still unknown and there was apprehension that either he would be implicated in a criminal case or harm would be caused to
his life.

He said no specific denial had come from law enforcement agencies, and requested that they be directed to file specific comments so that it could be ascertained whether Baig had been detained by them or by some private persons. He also expressed dissatisfaction over JIT reports being submitted by police.

A division bench headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi observed that as per JIT report, Baig was not required in any criminal case; however, no progress had been made to find him despite the lapse of more than one year.

It said it was the duty of the law enforcement agencies to ascertain the whereabouts of the missing man, particularly when there was an allegation about his illegal detention.

The bench directed the directors general of the ISI, MI, IB and Rangers as well as Sindh’s inspector general of police to file specific comments, and ordered that if the agencies had not arrested or detained him then his whereabouts be ascertained and he be produced before the court.

It said an appropriate order would be issued to ensure production of the missing person if the directives were not complied with. The hearing was adjourned till June 20.

Orders for FIA

Hearing a petition against the alleged detention of Mirza Saud Baig, a brother of Mirza Mehmood Baig, the court directed the director of the Federal Investigation Agency to file comments.

It also told the police to investigate FIA Sub-Inspector Shaista Imdad and Constable Agha Majid, who were on duty at the Karachi airport and allegedly handed over the custody of Baig to personnel of law enforcement agencies.

The petitioner, Wajeeha, submitted that her spouse, who was working as an architect in a private construction company in Dubai, was deported by the Duabi authorities on September 1 last year and soon after he reached Karachi he was detained.

She complained that police were not disclosing the whereabouts of her spouse, and requested the court to direct the authorities to produce the detainee before the court along with details of charges if any against him.

Water tankers

The Sindh High Court granted interim protective bail to Mohammad Sharif, president of the Water Tankers Association, in a rioting and blocking of the road case.

Sharif was booked for illegally blocking Sharea Faisal on June 3 during a demonstration over a water supply issue.

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