SHC wants ASF version over businessman’s detention

Karachi
The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday directed the case investigation officer to record the statement of Airport Security Force’s (ASF) personnel with respect to the detention of a businessman from the airport by law enforcement personnel.
Petitioner Abida Begum submitted that her spouse Mohammad Ali Sheikh, a businessman and a supporter of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) was to fly to US from Karachi when he was picked up by the LEAs, from the airport’s premises, on June 18; his whereabouts remain unknown.
The petitioner’s counsel submitted that the police and other law enforcement agencies were not disclosing the detainee’s whereabouts. He prayed to court to direct them to produce him before the court and release him if not required in any case.
The IO submitted that he had already recorded statements of a few witnesses and would be getting the remaining witnesses on record within next 10 days.
SHC’s division bench headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar observed that the ASF had already been ordered to cooperate with the investigation. The court directed the IO to record statements of ASF personnel and adjourned the hearing till December 10.
As per a joint investigation team’s report, submitted by the police, representatives of the inter service intelligence (ISI) and intelligence bureau (IB) denied having Sheikh in their custody, whereas statements of the federal investigation agency (FIA), anti-corruption establishment (ACE) and the ASF were yet to be received.
The report stated that the detainee’s last location, traced through his mobile phone, was shown to be C-34, Shah Faisal Colony, Malir Halt.
Architect’s detention Federal and provincial law officers were told to submit their comments with regard to detention of an architect, also from the Karachi airport, by the LEAs.
The direction came on petition of, Wajeeha, who challenged that her husband, Mirza Saud Ali Baig, an architect employed at a private construction company in Dubai, was taken into custody by the LEAs from the Karachi airport following his deportation from Dubai, on September 1.
She maintained that he was arrested as soon as his flight landed in Karachi. She complained that the police were not disclosing his whereabouts, and requested the court to direct the authorities to produce the detainee before the court along with details of charges if any against him.

As per previous hearings of both the cases, the SHC was informed that closed-circuit television cameras installed at the airport automatically delete the recorded data after a period of 25 days; hence, the footage of the men in question being taken by the LEAs could not be presented. The court had also called in comments of the ASF’s information technology depart