Missing person case: PHC summons officials for conflicting statements

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has summoned top officials of the federal and provincial governments and also an intelligence agency in a case of submission of two conflicting statements concerning a missing person.

PHC Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth issued notices to Secretary Home Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Ikramullah and officials of an intelligence agency and directed them to appear in person on October 14 to explain their position in a case of submission of different statements on affidavit in a missing person case. The court also directed the officials to file written replies before the next hearing.

In a two-page written order available with The News, it was stated that the petitioner Muhammad Turab has filed two petitions regarding missing of his brother Insaf Shah. "The instant writ petition was filed through his lawyer Raza Khan Safi, while the second petition was filed through Human Rights Cell of PHC," it stated.

It added that in the instant petition the reply submitted by Secretary Home KP duly supported by an affidavit by Salim Muhammad, director legal cell, and focal person for missing persons, according to which the missing person Insaf Shah is languishing in Internment Centre at Ghallanai, Mohmand district. However, it noted that in the connected second petition reply was submitted by Secretary Home and Tribal Affairs duly supported by affidavit by Kamranullah, section officer judicial, now a focal person for missing persons, in which as per reports of the intelligence agencies this person was not in custody. The order said that Kamranullah, focal person for missing persons, stated at the bar that they had submitted the reports on the basis of letters issued by the Ministry of Defence. The court observed that since two different reports have been submitted in the case of one missing person, it is a matter of concern and thus all the top officials are being summoned at the next hearing in the case.