SHC is concerned about the investigations into missing persons.
The handling of cases involving missing persons has drawn strong criticism from the Sindh High Court (SHC), which has highlighted claims of police misconduct and investigation flaws.
The mother of missing citizen Musawir Shah spoke movingly at a recent court about the threats she faced from police officers when she asked them where her son was. She claimed that Tufail and Muhammad Khan, Assistant Sub-Inspectors, threatened her that if she filed a court case, her kid would not be returned.
She was instructed by the court to file a formal complaint, naming the implicated officers. Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput emphasized the importance of proper documentation, stating that statements must bear the signatures of the recording officer to verify their authenticity.
The police were chastised by the SHC for not producing a Call Detail Record (CDR) for Fawad, who went missing. The court summoned the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Central to appear with the report, questioning the delay in obtaining the CDR despite a request being made over a month prior.
Iqbal and Hassan, two brothers who went missing, were also considered by the court. It was noted that the last time their mobile phone whereabouts were tracked, they were in Kasur before their numbers were deactivated.
Justice Rajput expressed displeasure with the investigative officers’ performance and questioned their training and legal knowledge. He urged state counsel to elucidate the legal status of unsigned statements, pointing out shortcomings in statement recording and inadequate documentation.
Despite some progress, such as the return of missing individuals Imran and Zaheer from Korangi, the SHC remains concerned about the overall effectiveness of police investigations into missing persons cases. In the upcoming weeks, the court has asked for reports on a number of instances.
