The Islamabad High Court ordered the recovery of missing poet Ahmed Farhad Shah by May 24. The court granted the state counsel an extension for the search.
Shah, a journalist and poet, went missing from his Islamabad home on May 14.
During the hearing, Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani presided. The interior secretary, the inspector general (IG) of Islamabad police, and the attorney general for Pakistan (AGP) were present.
At the start, the AGP requested an extension of two to four days to recover Shah. He assured the court they would locate him within that time.
The court granted the extension. Justice Kiyani questioned if the AGP’s statements were made with the federal government’s consultation.
Hearing
The court summoned the senior superintendent of police (SSP) operations to the rostrum. They inquired if any statements had been recorded.
“The senior officer was not present,” the SSP responded. “So, we recorded a written statement from a junior officer and sent the report to the secretary of defense.”
“This is your job; you have to do this,” Justice Kiyani remarked.
Commenting on the defense secretary’s absence, the petitioner’s lawyer, Imaan Mazari, argued that the secretary has never appeared in court when summoned.
“If a prime minister can come to court, so can everyone else,” said Justice Kiyani.
Mazari expressed frustration over recurring forceful disappearances. “It always happens. They pick up people and then say that we don’t have them,” she remarked.
She added this was not an isolated case. She represents such cases every day.
Mazari pressed the state counsel on progress made in the past six days. She suggested that the kidnappers should “at least be traceable if the agencies were not involved.”
The court ordered the recovery of the missing poet by Friday. They then adjourned the hearing.
Yesterday, the IHC ordered the Islamabad Police to obtain a statement from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) sector commander. They were to submit a report today regarding the alleged enforced disappearance of Ahmed Farhad Shah.
