Father of Ansarul Sharia suspect moves SHC against son’s ‘extra-judicial killing’

The shootout between the Rangers and the self-styled militant group Ansarul Sharia last month in Baldia Town took a new turn on Wednesday when the father of one of the suspects alleged that his son had been kept in illegal detention for more than a month before being killed.

Roshan Jamal, father of Hafiz Saad Jamal, one of the suspected terrorists killed in the October 22 raid, filed a petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) against the “extra-judicial killing” of Hafiz and the illegal detention of another. 

According to Roshan’s plea, Rangers officials picked up Hafiz from near his house in Gulshan-e-Maymar on September 6 when he was returning after Fajr prayers. He said that the law-enforcement force also raided their house and took away Hafiz’s cell phone and laptop telling the family that he would be released after an inquiry. 

Roshan added that the family also reported Hafiz’s detention on the Rangers’ helpline through a voice message on September 8 but no response was received. 

The petition further states that LEA officials raided his house again on September 24 and took away his other son Mohammad Hassan Jamal, who works at Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, along with his laptop, cell phone and motorcycle. 

Roshan added that on October 22, the Rangers and Counter Terrorism Department officials announced in a press conference that eight people, including his son Hafiz, had been killed following a shootout with Ansarul Sharia militants in Baldia Town.   

The announcement of the extra-judicial killing of Hafiz caused severe mental trauma and agony to his family and friends, the petition stated, adding that Roshan was apprehensive that his other son Hassan might also have been killed in a fake encounter because till now the family had heard no news about him. 

The bereaved father stated that the respondents had violated the principles of justice and the Constitution of Pakistan which promises protection to all citizens. He requested that the court order the police and Rangers to produce his detained son in court and provide details of the charges against him.

After a preliminary hearing, an SHC division bench headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto issued notices to the federal and provincial law officers and the Sindh prosecutor general directing them to submit their response by November 30.

On October 23, the Rangers spokesperson had addressed a press conference claiming to have busted the newly emerged Ansarul Sharia Pakistan militant group said to be involved in over half a dozen cases of terrorism, including the assassination attempt on the leader of the opposition in the Sindh Assembly, Khawaja Izharul Hassan, a Muttahida Qaumi Movement lawmaker.

Security officials claimed to have killed at least eight militants of the group, including their commander-in-chief, after a gunfight in Raees Goth, Baldia Town. The killed terror suspects were identified as group chief Sheharyar Warsi alias Abdullah Hashmi, Arsalan Baig, Saad Jamal [the petitioner’s son], Kamran Riaz, Abu Bakar, Talha Ansari, Nihalul Haq and Hassan Haroon. 

Illegal detention 

Separately, the SHC also heard a case related to the illegal detention of a Sindh Secretariat employee by another local intelligence agency.

Petitioner Qurban Gopang told the court that his son Gulbahar Gopang was illegally arrested by CIA personnel on October 25 from Sachal Goth. He claimed that despite receiving Rs50,000 as bribe, the officials still did not release his son.

The petitioner requested that the detainee be produced in court and any cases against him be presented in court as well. Following this, the SHC sought written comments from government law officers and CIA authorities.

Disappearance from airport 

The family of a missing person also moved the SHC against the enforced disappearance of a man from Karachi airport.  Petitioner Janat Hussain submitted that his son Noman Ahmed arrived from Malaysia on October 27 and was allegedly picked up by the personnel of law enforcement agencies from Karachi airport. Since then, his whereabouts have been unknown. Hussain requested the high court to order Ahmed’s immediate recovery.