PESHAWAR:
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday ruled on two petitions regarding the recovery of missing persons after returning home, while two cases were referred to the Commission of Inquiry into Enforced Disappearances. The court also issued notices to the federal and provincial governments in two additional motions, seeking detailed responses.
A single bench headed by Chief Justice SM Atiq Shah conducted the hearing, during which the Additional Advocate General, Deputy Attorney General and officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs and police appeared before the court.
During the proceedings of a petition filed by a woman seeking reinstatement of her children, the Additional Solicitor General informed the court that the children were taken to Karachi by their father. He said the local SHO found the father in Karachi, but he fled with the children and switched off his phone. The Chief Justice ordered that the matter be raised with the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) and the CCPO, and discussed with the Sindh Advocate General, and a detailed report be submitted.
In another case involving a missing lawyer, the petitioner’s lawyer told the court that lawyer Umar Jadoon, who practices in Abbottabad and Peshawar, was arrested from outside the PHC. When asked why he was detained, the lawyer said the lawyer expressed his support for Gaza on social media, after which he allegedly disappeared. The court sent notices to federal and provincial authorities, ordering them to submit responses, and referred the matter to the Missing Persons Commission.
The court ruled on two motions after the missing people returned home.
