SHC directs police to approach authorities for Uzair’s statement

The Sindh High Court on Thursday directed a police investigation officer to approach the authorities concerned for obtaining a written statement of Lyari gangster Uzair Baloch, who is facing military trial under espionage charges, in connection with four missing persons’ whereabouts.

The direction came on a petition filed by Phullan Khatoon against the alleged enforced disappearance of her son Ghazi Khan and his friends Mohammad Ameen, Sher Afzal Khan and Shahzad Khan, who were picked up on August 1, 2010.

Khatoon named paramilitary officials as Colonel Suleman, Sher Afsar and Riaz Taman and alleged that Afsar even took a bribe of Rs100,000 from her to arrange a meeting with the detainees.

However, the Rangers and other law-enforcement agencies have denied detaining the four. The Rangers’ counsel had informed the court that Inspector Sher Afsar had admitted to receiving money from the petitioner and, in view of his misconduct, he had been removed from service.

The high court had earlier ordered an inquiry through a DIG-level officer in light of the confessional statement of Lyari gangster Uzair Baloch, who had stated that the four missing persons had been killed on his instructions due to enmity.

The inquiry officer had informed the court that Baloch had confessed to killing Amin alias Lala, a jail staffer, as he (Amin) disrespected him during his confinement in prison, while the other men were killed by his associates, Sarwar Baloch, Akbar Baloch and Sikandar, who then dumped their bodies at Mewa Shah Graveyard in 2010.

However, he also submitted that the graveyard undertaker and other staff denied that the bodies had been dumped there between October 1 and October 8, 2010. He added that the associates identified by Baloch – Sarwar Baloch, Akbar Baloch and Sikandar – had been killed in a police encounter and no clue had been found with regard to the remains of the bodies of the missing persons named in Khatoon’s petition.

He further said that Rangers inspector Sher Afsar and ex-sub-inspector Riaz were also being prosecuted in a trial court for kidnapping the detainees and the court’s judgment would determine the true nature of the case.

The court had ordered the investigation officer to interrogate Uzair Baloch, who was presently facing a military trial under the espionage charges, and directed the ministry of defence to assist the police in questioning Baloch in connection with the missing persons.

The home secretary appeared before the court and submitted a compliance report mentioning that 5 Corps had been asked to provide assistance to police in interrogating Uzair Baloch with regard to the whereabouts of the missing persons; however, the response was awaited from the relevant authorities.

The court observed that it appears that the investigation officer has not been able to interrogate Baloch yet with regard to status of the missing persons. It further observed that if there was difficulty with interrogating Uzair Baloch, then the investigation officer may request the authorities concerned to provide him a written statement of Baloch in order to confirm whether the four persons had been killed and where these bodies had been dumped.

The court directed the investigation officer to submit the compliance report on October 24.