ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered the formation of a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the alleged abduction of a woman and her three minor daughters, an incident now tied to a multimillion-rupee Naval Farms land scam recently uncovered by a joint enquiry committee (JEC).
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani issued the directives while hearing a petition filed by Muhammad Waqas and others, who accused police officials of acting on behalf of unidentified individuals to abduct Sana Sohail, wife of Aleem Sohail, along with her daughters — Harim (12), Laiba (7), and Nimra (3) — from Lahore on September 17.
According to the petition, the woman and her children were later implicated in a fabricated case registered at the Tarnol police station in Islamabad. CCTV footage confirmed that the family was taken into custody at around 7am with the help of Punjab police and transported to Islamabad, where they were shown as arrested three days later under various provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code and the Arms Ordinance.
Read More: Woman abducted from Khuzdar recovered, 14 arrested
Justice Kayani observed that the arrest preceded the FIR, raising serious concerns about the legality of police conduct. The court also noted that the investigation officer (IO) failed to identify who had ordered the operation or explain the presence of two Suzuki Alto cars and other vehicles recovered at the CIA Centre Islamabad.
The Islamabad police chief was directed to appear in person on Oct 28 to explain the conduct of the Tarnol SHO and the IO. The CIA Centre SP was ordered to produce the vehicles and submit a detailed report.
The court also summoned the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) director general to supervise the JIT, which will investigate allegations of abduction, trespassing, and fabrication of criminal charges.
Read More: Police recover ‘abducted’ woman from Jacobabad
Justice Kayani further noted that Duty Judicial Magistrate Yasir Mehmood Chaudhry had sent Ms Sohail to judicial custody and placed her children with the Child Protection Bureau without conducting the legally required inquiry into their welfare. The Member Inspection Team of the IHC was instructed to summon the magistrate for an explanation.
Linked to land scam
The case is closely tied to a JEC investigation into a sophisticated land scam involving 136 kanals in Mera Begwal, Islamabad. The committee — which includes officials from the ISI, IB, Islamabad police, and a naval commander — discovered that the land had been illegally transferred using a manipulated general power of attorney (GPA).
The GPA carried authentic signatures of landowner Musharraf Rasool Cyan, but the sale clause was inserted later. The inquiry also found fake stamp papers and affidavits and traced financial transactions worth over Rs383.8 million.
The JEC identified Muhammad Waqas, a farm employee of Mr Cyan, as having received the funds from land provider Faisal Mumtaz and the Pakistan Navy Benevolent Association (PNBA). Despite earning just Rs50,000 a month, Waqas withdrew or transferred Rs326.95 million, while Aleem Sohail and his wife Sana Sohail also received large, unexplained deposits.
Read More: Mirpur Police unearths fake abduction case
The committee expressed astonishment that such enormous payments were made to farm workers without verifying property ownership or contacting the actual landowner. It recommended cancellation of the fraudulent mutation, legal action against those involved, freezing of assets, and reforms in property registration and biometric verification systems.