SHC moved for recovery of abducted businessman

The Sindh High Court on Thursday issued notices to federal and provincial law officers, Sindh’s inspector general of police and others on a petition for the recovery of a businessman who had been taken away by unknown persons from the Lyari area two days earlier.

Petitioner Anber Zulfiqar submitted that her spouse Zulfiqar Ahmed was a prominent businessman and managing director of textile manufacturing and oil companies. She said Ahmed had left his office on July 23 along with his friend Qaiser, and on the way to Agra Taj Colony they were intercepted and taken to an undisclosed location by unidentified armed persons in a double cabin vehicle. She said Qaiser was later released and left on the road, while the kidnappers continued to hold Ahmed captive.

The petitioner submitted that family members approached the police and other law enforcement agencies to ascertain her spouse’s whereabouts, but none of them were aware about his arrest or detention.

The petitioner’s counsel said the family approached the Kalri police station to register an FIR about the incident, but the case was not registered. He said there was much apprehension about Ahmed’s life as he had not been shown arrested nor had he been produced before any court of law. The court was requested to direct the police and other law enforcement agencies to produce the detainee before the court and disclose details of cases if pending against him.

He also sought an injunction against the initiation of any criminal proceedings after the abduction of the businessman and for registration of a case against persons who were involved in his unlawful detention.

A high court division bench, headed by Justice Mrs. Kausar Sultana Hussain, after the preliminary hearing of the petition, issued notices to the federal and provincial law officers, Sindh’s IGP and the District SSP, and called their comments on July 30. The court also directed the SHO of the Kalri police station to appear before the court on the next date of the hearing. Zulfiqar Ahmed, the owner of the Pakistani beverage company Cola Next, was abducted by armed assailants on Mauripur Road in Karachi on Tuesday.

Witnesses reported that Ahmed’s vehicle was forcibly stopped by a double cabin truck with no visible licence plate. A group of six to eight masked men, armed with guns, forcibly removed Ahmed and his companion, Qaiser, from their car, taking them away in their truck. Ahmed's car was left abandoned at the scene.

Moments later, Qaiser was released and left on the road, while the kidnappers continued to hold Ahmed captive. Despite attempts to report the crime, the police only received an application late on Tuesday night and failed to file an FIR.