Missing persons case: SHC takes exception to police performance

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court on Tuesday expressed dissatisfaction over the police investigation officers’ performance in recovery of missing persons for the last several years and directed the secretaries of the Ministry of Defence and Interior and heads of joint investigation teams to submit their progress reports.

Hearing petitions against the disappearance of citizens, a division bench of the SHC, headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, observed that the police investigation officers had done nothing to recover the missing persons despite several directions of the court and their progress reports were not satisfactory.

The court inquired from the investigation officers as to why the missing persons had not been recovered and what efforts were being made to trace their whereabouts. The court observed that despite several meetings of joint investigation teams, no result could be achieved. The court observed that apparently the heads of joint investigation teams and investigation officers are helpless in collecting replies from internment centers. The court directed secretaries of Ministry of Defence and Interior to collect reports from internment centers. The court ordered the home secretary and concerned officers to repeat the sessions of joint investigation team and provincial task force and submit compliance reports on next date of hearing.