Daily Times

KARACHI: While expressing extreme displeasure over the Sindh police for making no headway in search for a missing aide of former president Asif Ali Zardari, the Sindh High Court has directed the Hyderabad SSP to turn up along with progress report.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, was visibly irked when the investigating officer told them that the police had made no progress in tracing out Ghulam Qadir Marri, who was said to be illegally detained by the law enforcement agencies.

The bench adjourned the hearing to a date to be fixed by the court office later.

Ismail Marri, the brother of the missing PPP activist, filed the petition seeking directives for the law enforcement agencies to trace out his missing brother, his friend – Khan Muhammad Mangi and two servants – Mehboob Ali Khashkheli and Javed Rehman.

Marri is one of Zardari’s three close aides who are said to have gone missing within a few days. Ashfaq Leghari – who worked for Omni Group and Nawab Leghari – former Sindh government adviser – had gone missing a few days ago.

Advocate Shahab Sarki, the petitioner’s counsel, submitted that Marri, a PPP staunch supporter, was kidnapped on April 07 near Jamshoro when he was returning home from Naudero after attending the death anniversary of Zulifqar Ali Bhutto.

Marri, who is also a businessman and owned a vast agricultural land, was traveling in his white land cruiser along with his friend, driver and another servant.

The counsel said that the missing petitioner’s brother was in contact with his family members till late Friday evening. Later, they learned through a news channel that his brother had gone missing as his vehicle was found abandoned near Jamshoro power house, he added.

Sarki submitted that Marri was suffering from multiple ailments, including cancer, diabetes, and high-blood pressure and having periodic medical check-ups. His confinement would have extremely detrimental effect on his health as he was also undergoing cyberknife therapy.

“Marri was being victimized by the establishment due to his political affiliation,” the petitioner said while adding his brother was a law-abiding citizen and would be willing to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies with regard to any investigation according to law.

If he is required in any case, he should be produced before a court of law, he argued. Abductee’s fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution were being violated.

The petitioner pleaded the court to direct the respondent authorities to produce him in court and restrain them from taking any adverse action against him.

Meanwhile, the federal authorities submitted to the same bench a list of 775 persons who were kept in different internment centers.

The bench observed that it could be more conducive if the list could also be provided along with picture of the men detained at internment centers for their identification which may also enable the relatives of missing persons to identify their beloved.

The court was hearing the petition filed by Javed Ghufran seeking whereabouts of his brother, Shoib Ghufran who was missing since Nov, 2012.