One of two missing brothers killed in encounter, SHC told

One of two brothers who have been missing since June 2015 when they were picked up from Gulzar-e-Hijri allegedly by law enforcers has been killed in a fake encounter, the Sindh High Court was told on Thursday.

The disclosure came from the counsel of petitioner Syed Shah Feroz Ahmed Qadri who has challenged the illegal detention of his two sons, Isbah and Ijtaba, since June 6, 2015. The petitioner submitted that his sons – one a government employee and the other a private businessman – had never been involved in any criminal activities and had been detained by law enforcement agencies without any valid reason.

The petitioner’s counsel, Mohammad Amir Khan, informed the court that one of the missing men, Ijtaba Feroz, was killed by law enforcement agencies in a fake encounter in the last week of February. His body was then handed over to the family for burial.

The lawyer said he had filed another petition against this illegal act by law enforcement agencies and told the court there was still no information about the other son Isbah’s whereabouts.

The SHC division bench headed by Syed Mohammad Farooq Shah directed the investigation officer to submit a progress report with regards to recovery of the detainee and adjourned the hearing till March 30.

In a case of similar nature in which three missing persons were murdered in encounters, the court directed the petitioners’ counsel to submit an affidavit with regards to the killing of Naveed Kamal and Yasin.

The missing men’s families had submitted that Kamal and Yasin were picked up by personnel of law enforcement agencies on January 2, 2016 and November 27, 2015 from Korangi Industrial Area and Quaidabad, and since then their whereabouts were unknown.

At a hearing on February 23, the counsel of the petitioners informed the court that the detainees had been killed in a police encounter. 

The court yesterday also directed the police to ensure recovery of the third missing man, Mohammad Arif, an assistant superintendent of Pakistan Post, who was picked up by personnel of the law enforcement agencies on February 2 from Aram Bagh and his whereabouts remain unknown.

 

Modern techniques

The court was informed by the provincial law officer that investigation officers have been directed to use modern techniques in efforts to locate missing persons.

Filing a compliance report, the law officer submitted that investigators were directed to use DNA testing, automated finger printing, information technology platforms, financial checks, lie detection test, facial analysis and comparison and other technologies to solve the missing persons cases.

 

Notices 

The court also issued notices to the federal and provincial law officers, law enforcement agencies and others to file comments on a petition against illegal detention of citizens. 

The court was informed that Syed Umer Ejaz, Uzair Khan, Jamil Ahmed, Sikandar Salahuddin, Abu Bakar Baloch were picked up by the personnel of law enforcement agencies from 
Nazimabad, North Karachi, Baldia, New Karachi and Kotri Jamshoro areas and their whereabouts were unknown.