PM may be summoned if missing persons not recovered: SHC

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday expressed displeasure with the authorities over non-recovery of missing persons despite several directions, observing that the court may summon the caretaker prime minister if its orders were not complied with in letter and spirit.

Hearing petitions against alleged enforced disappearance of citizens, SHC’s division bench headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto remarked that no progress has been made in the missing persons cases despite their petitions are pending for the last 10 years.

The court directed the joint investigation teams’ (JIT) heads and investigation officers to take personal interest in the recovery of missing persons and use modern devices to ascertain their whereabouts. It observed that the JITs and provincial task force’s (PTF) meetings were being held continuously but they failed to deliver any results.

A federal law officer submitted that missing person Mohammad Idrees Ismail was not held in any detention centre in the country. The defence and interior ministries added that missing person Mohammad Ali was not in the custody of any federal agency under their jurisdictions.

The bench directed the heads of JIT and PTF to repeat the sessions for recovery of missing persons and submit a compliance report to the court.

Bail dismissed

Meanwhile, the SHC dismissed bail applications of two accused, Saeed and Zubair, allegedly involved in the killing of two employees of a private telecom company in Machar Colony.

According to the prosecution, the applicants along with hundreds of other people lynched two telecom employees, who were visiting the area to check mobile signals, accusing them of being kidnappers of children.

The court, after hearing arguments from both sides, dismissed the bail applications and directed the trial court to speed up recording statements of witnesses.