Habeas corpus petition: PHC directs petitioner to record statement before JIT

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday directed the petitioner to record a statement before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) for the recovery of four members of the Alkozai family who were allegedly abducted from Hayatabad.

A single bench of PHC Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim heard the habeas corpus petition.The lawyer for the petitioner, Nadir Shah Advocate, Additional Advocate General Naumanul Haq Kakakhel, Deputy Attorney General Obaidullah Anwar and police officials appeared in the court.

A police officer told the court that the JIT was formed but the petitioner was not recording a statement before it.To this, the petitioner’s lawyer told the court that his client did not have faith in the JIT as the family had recorded statements thrice before the forum, but to no avail.

He said that his clients were kidnapped from Hayatabad and the CCTV footage of the incident was also available, adding the secret agencies had denied picking them up.The lawyer requested the court to order the police to recover the missing persons.

The chief justice remarked that the government was supposed to protect the people, adding that the people eventually turned to the courts to seek justice. Meanwhile, the PHC summoned the investigation officer Fazal Rabbi, on August 12 along with the record in the case of one Ziaullah, who was allegedly picked up by the officials of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) in the limits of Tehkal Police Station.

Jahanullah, the father of Ziaullah, told the court that he had registered the first information report with the police about the disappearance of his son on May 31.He said that the CTD officials in four vehicles had picked up his son in a raid on his house.

The man said that the CTD officials also took away the cellphone and laptop of his son. Additional Advocate General Nauman Kakakhel told the court that the CTD had submitted its reply in the case denying hand in the disappearance of Ziaullah.