SHC issues notices on plea against Dr Akmal Waheed’s disappearance

The Sindh High Court on Monday issued notices to federal and provincial law officers, the inspector general of police, the director general of the Rangers and others on a petition against the enforced disappearance of a doctor allegedly at the hands of personnel of law enforcement agencies.

Dr Fouzia Akmal submitted in the petition that her spouse Dr Akmal Waheed, a cardiac specialist, had gone missing on October 14 while coming from his hospital from Shamsi Society in Malir and his whereabouts had been unknown since then.

She submitted that her spouse had nothing to do with any criminal activities but he was again being unlawfully detained by personnel of law enforcement agencies. Her counsel Mohammad Farooq said the petitioner’s spouse had been facing highhandedness by police and other law enforcement agencies for the last 15 years although no single allegation with regard to facilitation of any terror organisation had been proved against him.

He submitted that petitioner spouse had also challenged inclusion of his name from the IV-schedule of Anti-Terrorism Act (the terror-watch list) for the last couple of years by the home department which was still pending before the competent forum and the high court.

The counsel submitted that prior to unlawful detention petitioner’s spouse was continuously being harassed by police and summoned to appear before them. He submitted that his client was a doctor and running a private clinic and no allegations with regard to any criminal and terrorism activities had been found against him. He said that the missing person was neither produced before any court of law nor details of any cases were provided to his family. The court was requested to direct the federal and provincial government law enforcement agencies to produce the detainee and provide details of cases if any against him.

A division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha, after the preliminary hearing of the petition, issued notices to federal and provincial law officers, the IGP, the DG Rangers and others, and called their comments on November 20.

Dr Akmal had earlier been accused of having links with al-Qaeda, attacking the Karachi corps commander’s convoy in 2004 and financially aiding and harbouring activists of the banned Jundullah outfit. However, he was cleared of these charges by the Sindh High Court and the Supreme Court.