SHC tells JITs, others to submit progress reports

The Sindh High Court on Thursday directed joint investigation teams and federal and provincial law enforcement agencies to submit progress reports with regard to the recovery of missing persons.

Hearing identical petitions with regard to the disappearance of people from different parts of the city, the court took exception to the slow pace of investigations being conducted, and directed the investigation officers to use modern technology for the recovery of the missing persons.

Petitioners submitted that police and other law enforcement agencies were not ascertaining the whereabouts of the detainees despite the court orders. The court directed the investigation officers to send letters to the jail authorities and agencies with regard to the whereabouts of the missing persons and to also ascertain from the immigration department the travel history of them. It further directed the federal and provincial law enforcement agencies, JITs and investigation officers to file progress reports at the next hearing.

Harassment

The Sindh High Court has directed the excise and taxation department, Pakistan Bazaar police and others to file comments on a petition of a citizen against harassment and operating of a wine shop near a school and a worship place.

Petitioner Younus Ilyas, who is the principal of the private school, submitted that he had protested over the opening of the wine shop in Orangi Town’s area as it was near a church and the school, but he was falsely implicated in a case.

He submitted that he was acquitted from the charges but still the wine ship was being operated in the vicinity. He requested the court to restrain the police from harassment and shift the wine shop from the area to some other place.