On Monday, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) summoned the Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) to hear a request for the recovery of journalist Ahmad Noorani’s two brothers.
Working for a news source called Fact Focus, US-based Noorani recently released an investigative report on a serving high-ranking military official and his relatives.
Early Wednesday, Noorani’s two brothers, Muhammad Saifur Rehman Haider and Muhammad Ali, vanished from their house.
Amina Bashir, Noorani’s mother, had asked the IHC for help in recovering his two siblings.
She said that her two sons “forcibly disappeared” from their Islamabad residence at 1:05am under “unknown officials ostensibly belonging” to the national intelligence services. “It is rather clear that his brothers have been subjected to enforced disappearance as a clear reprisal aimed at silencing Noorani’s journalism,” the petition claimed.
Respondents in the case listed the government, Ministry of Defence, Islamabad IGP, and station house officer (SHO) of Noon Police Station.
The IHC gave the SHO instructions on Saturday to turn in a comprehensive disappearance report. Advocate Imaan Hazir Mazari, representing the petitioner, attacked authorities for failing to register a FIR even after three days following the occurrence.
Justice Raja Inam Ameen Minhas voiced his displeasure with the SHO’s report today’s hearing and called the Islamabad IGP on March 26.
Hearing
Representing the petitioner, Advocate Imaan Hazir Mazari showed up before the court with Noorani’s mother and sister.
Tears burst out in the mother during the procedures. “Would the high court be liable should something happen to my children?” she asked.
The SHO handed his report to the court. “We have been using all available sources,” he stated. “The police have geofenced, investigated call detail records, and checked the cameras near the house.”
Justice Minhas informed the police officer he ought to have presented his findings, but he did not.
The Islamabad police attorney claimed that no application for case registration was received.
The judge answered, “We are not discussing that right now,” adding that another venue existed for that aim.
Mazari questioned how the police were investigating if they had not reported for five days.
Judge Minhas said, “I am phoning the IGP. He is going to look into it.
Mazari said the event occurred six days ago, but the police had not yet acted.
The judge answered, “I can only order as per my authority.”
In this scenario, Mazari stated, the intelligence agencies had responsibility. She said that recent reporting by Noorani resulted in the kidnapping of his brothers.
Justice Minhas noted he would not approve any directive unable to be carried out.
Mazari asked the judge to close the matter until today or tomorrow. The court broke off the case’s hearing until March 26.
