Daily Times

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) declared on Wednesday that the police reports regarding missing persons were ‘not satisfactory.’

The court resumed today (Wednesday) the hearing of petitions pertaining to over 60 missing persons.

As the session commenced, the court ordered Law Enforcement agencies to take practical measures to recover missing persons.

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The SHC expressed annoyance at the authorities’ failure to recover missing persons. “Despite the formation of Joint Investigation Teams (JITs), there is no progress regarding missing persons’ recovery,” the judge remarked.

The court further observed that the Sindh police had been changing its investigation officer during every hearing pertaining to the case.

“We don’t want anyone’s loved ones to go missing,” the SHC justice stressed.

Afterward, the SHC directed the Sindh Police Inspector General (IG) Kaleem Imam, Sindh home secretary, DG Rangers Major General Muhammad Saeed, and other senior officials to submit a follow-up report of the case on October 17.

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The bench also ordered the formation of a new JIT to recover four missing citizens, namely Ghazi Khan, Muhammad Jamil, Sher Afzal, and Sheraz.

The court then issued directives to the Sindh Police to appoint ‘at least a DIG’ as the investigation officer.

During the session, the state attorney said that according to the police report, all four (mentioned) missing persons were killed by the Uzair Baloch gang.

To this, the petitioners’ lawyer demanded the proof of the prosecutor’s statement.

Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto said that police officers do nothing except for the paperwork.

“This court is concerned with the recovery of missing persons. We would not be satisfied with mere rhetoric,” he added.

The court then handed over the investigation of a 5-year-old missing since 2011.

The Sindh High Court also summoned a response from the medical officer regarding Feroze Khan, who went missing from the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.