Irked by no progress in Dua Zahra case, SHC orders to take back charge of IG Sindh

ISLAMABAD: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday directed the Establishment Division to take back charge from Sindh Inspector-General of police (IGP) Kamran Fazal over his failure in producing Dua Zahra before the court.

A two-member bench headed by Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro resumed the hearing of a petition filed by Mehdi Ali Kazmi, the girl’s father.

Reprimanding the police officer over their failure in recovering Dua Zehra — the 14-year-old girl who had mysteriously gone missing from Karachi in April but later declared that she had run away from her home to marry 21-year-old Zaheer Ahmed — the judge sought the opinion of the Establishment Division whether Kamran Fazal is eligible for this post or not.

“It will be better to leave the matter for the executive to decide,” observed the judge.

Rejecting the IG Sindh’s report, the judge remarked that the police officer submitted an unrealistic report in the case.   

The SHC directed the authorities concerned to assign an "efficient" officer to the post and issued a show-cause notice to Fazal on his "unwillingness" to perform in the case.

It is worth mentioning that on May 18, the Sindh government had appointed Dr Kamran Fazal as Sindh police chief — an officer of the Police Service of Pakistan (BS-21) — after sacking Mushtaq Mahar from the post.

“In a manifest demonstration of such callous conduct, the court directed the IG Sindh to intervene and recover the child. On 24.05.2022, the IG appeared in court and submitted a rather fanciful story that a mobile signal, allegedly of one of the abductors, was being monitored across the length and breadth of the country, traversing through Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Azad Kashmir, however, other than that no effort whatsoever was taken to find/recover the child,” the court order read.

It further noted that despite it being apparent that no serious effort had been expended to recover the child, this court exercised restraint and accepted the IG’s undertaking that the child would be recovered before the next date.

“It remains our tentative assessment that the IG Police, Kamran Fazal, remains unwilling to perform his duty, despite repeated direct orders,” it noted.

The court asked Fazal for an explanation on why the proceeding may not be initiated. The SHC also directed Fazal to appear before the court in person along with his affidavit at the next hearing.

“In so far as his ability to perform his duty is concerned, we feel it’s prudent to defer the said issue for due consideration to the executive. The Secretary Establishment Division is directed to immediately look into this matter and form an opinion, within a reasonable time, as to whether there ought to be an inquiry to determine whether Kamran Fazal is fit to hold a position of responsibility concerned with the lives and liberty of citizens,” the order read.

Meanwhile, the court said that the present role/charge of the IG Sindh may be assigned forthwith to an “efficient” officer and the officer would be conveyed the court’s directions to produce the missing child on the next date of hearing.

SHC orders to produce Dua Zahra on May 30

On May 24, the SHC had ordered the police of all four provinces and the law enforcers to produce Dua Zahra before it on May 30.

During the course of the proceedings, the court had instructed the interior secretary to order the police force of all the four provinces to take all possible measures about the recovery of Dua Zahra.

According to a police report submitted in the court, Dua Zahra’s location was traced in Balakot, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa through mobile phone signals.

Expressing his annoyance, Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro had remarked that neither the suspects' CNICs were blocked nor any action was taken in this regard so far.

The judge had stated, “We are bound by the law and will take action against whoever is violating it.”

Justice Aga Faisal had warned the court will issue an order against the officer who fails to meet the task and adjourned the hearing till May 30.