SHC censures JIT for failing to find missing student

The Sindh High Court took serious exception to the performance of a joint investigation team (JIT) in a 23-year-old missing student’s case and directed it to carry out further investigations with “application of mind”.

Hearing a petition seeking the safe recovery of missing student Bilal Rizwan, whose whereabouts have been unknown since November 4, 2015, a division bench, headed by Justice Mohammad Shafi Siddiqui, observed that surprisingly, the JIT had said in its very first meeting that the missing person did not fall into any of four categories: kidnapping for ransom, kidnapping due to enmity, disappeared on his own or enforced disappearance.

“We do not find any head and tail as far as the above opinion and conclusion is concerned,” the court observed, adding that apparently and prima facie, the JIT’s opinion seemed to be a premature opinion.

The court expressed concern over the JIT’s opinion and asked what material was available to the team to enable it to reach the conclusion that the missing student did not fall into the abovementioned four categories. It said that the only question left out by the JIT that was yet to be ascertained was as to where the person had gone.

The court directed the team to further investigate the matter with “application of mind” and submit a report within two weeks.

The JIT, which was formed on February 27, comprises representatives of the Inter- Services Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau, Rangers, Federal Investigation Agency, Special B ranch and Counter Terrorism Department. Petitioner Rozina Rizwan said her son Bilal Rizwan, student of a private university, had gone missing on November 4, 2015.

   

Notice to ASF

The SHC directed the Airport Security Force (ASF) to provide closed-circuit camera recording of September 28, 2015 to see whether or not a man reported missing had arrived at the Karachi airport.

The directive came at a hearing of a petition filed by Afzalul Haq, who alleged that his brother, Mohammad Ajmal, had gone missing from the Karachi airport soon after he arrived after performing Hajj.

 

Unidentified bodies

The high court directed the home department to submit a report regarding a mechanism to identify unidentified bodies through DNA tests. 

The court had at a previous hearing observed that a lot of persons who lost their lives in bomb blasts remained unidentified. 

It said the possibility could not be ruled out that some of missing persons were those who were unidentified in bomb blast incidents.