SHC directs LEAs to file comments in illegal detention cases

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has issued notices to federal and provincial law officers, and the police and Rangers’ heads on petitions against illegal detentions of citizens allegedly by personnel of law enforcement agencies.

Petitioners Bisma Naz, Sakina Kausar, Nayar Zubair, Mohammad Feroz, Asma Masood, Asma Parkeh submitted that personnel of law enforcement agencies (LEAs) picked up Shan Sabir Khan, Syed Zamarud Hussain, Mohammad Zubair, Mohammad Rafiq, Syed Masood and Mohammad Omer from North Karachi, Gulistan-e-Johar, Korangi, Model Colony, Nazimabad and PECHS and their whereabouts were unknown.

They stated that police and personnel of other LEAs were neither provided details of the detainees’ whereabouts nor were detainees brought to any court of the law in connection with any criminal cases.

They expressed apprehension about the lives of the detainees and requested the court to direct the LEAs to produce the citizens before the court and provide details of charges if any against them. The court directed the federal and provincial law officers, police and Rangers to file comments on the petitions.

In another detention case, the Sindh High Court directed the Rangers and a federal law officer to file comments on an application of a woman who alleged that her spouse had been handed over to Afghan authorities. Petitioner Dilnawaz Bibi submitted that her spouse Naimatullah was allegedly taken into custody by personnel of law enforcement agencies on July 5, 2014, in Sherpao Colony.

The petitioner’s counsel produced a newspaper report before the court, mentioning that the petitioner had identified her spouse in a picture of detainees, who, according to the report, had been handed over to Afghan authorities in November 2017.

The court directed the federal law officer to file comments with regard to the whereabouts of the detainee on the basis of the newspaper report, besides telling the Rangers to reply to the petitioner’s allegations.