SHC repeats notices to DGs of ISI,MI in missing person’s case
The Sindh High Court (SHC) issued notices to Director Generals (DGs) of the Inter Service Intelligence and Military Intelligence on a petition seeking the whereabouts of a man who is missing since September 7 last year.
The court was hearing the petition of Mohammad Bashir who submitted that his son Shafiq Ahmed, 19, was missing since September 7 and police failed to ascertain his whereabouts.
His counsel Maqboolur Rehman expressed apprehension that his client’s son might have been taken into custody by intelligence agencies due to his involvement in religious activities. He said that direction be issued to the respondents including the federal government, ISI and MI to ascertain the whereabouts of his client’s son and order his production if he is in their custody.
Additional Advocate General Abbas Ali filed comments on behalf of SSP CID, DIG Investigation stating that the petitioner’s son was neither detained nor arrested by the police in Karachi.
Deputy Attorney General Rizwan Siddiqui filed comments on behalf of Pakistan Rangers denying the arrest and detention of Shafiq by the Rangers.
The SHC’s division bench comprising Justice Azizullah M Memon and Justice Arshad Noor Khan observed that whenever cogent material is placed on record to indicate malice against any officer of armed forces, superior court shall always be competent to entertain such matter. The petitioner’s counsel sought time to work out on possibility of placing out cogent material.
The court, adjourning the matter to March 11, repeated notice to DGs of ISI and MI and others for their comments.
SHC adjourns Benazir, Zardari petitions’ hearing: The Sindh High Court (SHC) adjourned the hearing of petitions of late PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto and her spouse Asif Ali Zardari, seeking withdrawal of the attorney general’s letter to Swiss authorities for mutual assistance regarding corruption matter of the petitioners.
Attorney general of the then Nawaz Sharif government had sent a letter to Swiss authorities on November 6, 1997, for legal proceedings regarding a money laundering matter against the petitioners.
Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari had challenged such proceedings in the SHC but the petition was dismissed by the then SHC’s division bench headed by Chief Justice Kamal Mansoor Alam in September 1998 on the ground that the AG could write the letter on behalf of federal government and the High Court had no jurisdiction to adjudicate the matter regarding the authority of attorney general.
The matter was also heard by the larger bench of the Supreme Court, which set aside the SHC order in September last year and remanded back the case to SHC for its disposal after the statement of federal law officer that the High Court has the jurisdiction to adjudicate the matter.
The SHC’s division bench comprising Justice Azizullah M Memon and Justice Arshad Noor Khan adjourned the hearing till Thursday due to non-appearance of petitioners’ counsel.
Source: The News
Date:2/21/2008
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