SHC dismayed over police report in missing persons case

KARACHI: A Sindh High Court (SHC) bench expressed dissatisfaction over police reports while hearing petitions for the recovery of missing persons, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

A two-member bench of the high court headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto heard the petitions related to the recovery of nine persons missing for years.

“The court is not satisfied with routine police reports,” Justice Phulpoto remarked.

The court ordered concerned DIGs and SSPs to appear before the court. “Tell the court why the police department have failed to trace the missing persons,” the bench questioned.

The court also directed the I.G. Sindh Police and Home Secretary for personally monitoring the cases of missing persons.

The counsels for the families of Muhammad Usman, Hani, Mir Ali Haider, Muhammad Waseem and other missing persons pleaded to the court in petitions to issue orders for their immediate recovery.

The missing persons commission in a report submitted in the Supreme Court on February 1, said that 2256 cases of missing persons have been pending with the commission.

The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances reported to the apex court that 27 missing persons were traced in January 2023. “Last month 24 persons were recovered, while three persons have been in jails in various cases against them,” the commission informed the court in its report.

The Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances was established in 2011 to trace the missing persons and fix responsibility on the individuals or organizations responsible for it.

“During January 2023, 77 cases belong to Balochistan,” the commission reported.

The missing persons commission in its report submitted details of the cases from March 2011 to January 31, 2023.

“Overall, 9294 cases of missing persons were filed till January 31 and 7031 were tackled,” according to the report.