SHC notices to IG, others in missing persons cases

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Monday issued notices to federal and provincial law officers, Sindh’s IGP and others on a petition against enforced disappearances of citizens from different parts of Karachi.

Petitioners Muzaffar Ahmed and Afsheen submitted that Anwar Ahmed, Vishal and Mohammad Raheel were missing from Saddar and Karimabad areas. Ahmed submitted that his son Anwar and his friend Vishal had come from Badin and stayed at private hotel in Saddar area on July 19 and since then their whereabouts had been unknown.

Afsheen submitted that her son Mohammad Raheel had been missing since August 29 from Karimabad area. They requested the court to direct the police and other law enforcement agencies to recover the missing persons. The court directed the federal and provincial law officers, law enforcement agencies and others and called their comments.

Conviction set aside: The Sindh High Court set aside the conviction of two men in explosive substance and illegal weapon cases.

Qamar Iqbal and Aman Iqbal were sentenced to aggregated 28 years’ imprisonment by an anti-terrorism court on December 12, 2017, having found them guilty of possessing explosive substance and illegal weapons.

According to the prosecution, the appellants were arrested after a shootout in Orangi Town area and explosive substance and illegal weapons were seized from their possession. The appellants preferred appeal and sought acquittal from the charges, claiming that they were falsely implicated in the case by the police. The court, after hearing the case and perusal of the evidence, observed that the prosecution failed to prove charges against the appellants and they could not be convicted on the basis of weak evidence. The court ordered releasing the appellants if not required in other cases.