'Missing person’ produced before IHC as CJ Athar Minallah orders detailed probe in disappearances

ISLAMABAD – Police on Wednesday presented a man, who went missing in August with his father alleging the state behind his disappearance, before the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Haseeb Hamza, 27, was produced before the court in line with the instructions issued by IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah while hearing a petition about his recovery earlier this month.

Warning of action, the chief justice had said that the court will summon the officials of the Military Intelligence (MI), Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB) to give an explanation for the failure of the state.

Islamabad Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan also appeared in the court along with Hamza.

At the outset of the hearing, the chief justice asked him where he had been since his disappearance, to which he said that he did not know the place as he was blindfolded after he was taken into custody from his house.

When the chief justice asked police about the investigation in his case, it was told that a probe into the delay in registration of Hamza’s disappearance case as his missing is underway.

Police said that some of the missing persons have been recovered while investigation in other cases is being conducted.

CJ Minallah remarked that the state was responsible to ensure protection of its citizen, besides lamenting over lack of accountability in the system.

Later, the court instructed the Islamabad IG to hold those responsible who are behind the disappearance, and directed him to submit a report into Hasseb Hamza’s case on September 22.  

Hamza, who is a farmer by profession and worked in Layyah, was apprehended at midnight of August 22 and 23 when his house was raided by a group of 20 people.

The father of Hamza later approached police to register a case but FIR was registered after he moved the high court.

The federation of Pakistan through the defence ministry secretary, the MI director general and the interior ministry were made respondents in the case.

“The circumstances suggest that the detenu is a victim of state-enforced disappearance. The petitioner ran from pillar to post for the search of his son, however, no information [was] received from any corner of state organs,” the petition read.

It also asked the court to trace the persons involved in abduction of Hamza.