ISLAMABAD: Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) warned on Friday that if the order of the court to recover Mirza Murad Akbar, brother of Shahzad Akbar, aide of former PM Imran Khan was not complied with, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif would be summoned to the court.
While hearing the petition, the judge issued the remarks seeking the recovery of Murad, whom his family claims were picked up by personnel of law enforcement. In the last hearing on May 31, the court had directed the police to find the missing man within the next two days.
According to a first information report (FIR) which is registered with Shalimar police station, Murad was “abducted” by people of agencies from different law-enforcement agencies from his residence in Islamabad on May 28. The case was registered under section 365 in response to a complaint lodged by the son of Murad, Danyal Akbar, who subsequently filed a plea with the Islamabad High Court for the recovery of his father.
Several officials including Advocate General Islamabad Jahangir Jadoon and Islamabad Police DIG Operations Shehzad Bukhari appeared before the court today. At the start of the hearing, Justice Kayani asked the police officer whether the people who detained Murad were members of the Counter Terrorism Department or paramilitary Rangers.
Advocate General Islamabad Jahangir Jadoon
Islamabad Police DIG Operations Shehzad Bukhari clarified that the personnel involved in the raid on the residence of the petitioner did not belong to either of the forces. He requested some time to review the CCTV footage in order to determine the identity of the personnel. The court expressed its disappointment, calling it disgraceful that numerous people in police and Rangers uniforms forcefully entered a residence and apprehended a man.
The judge severely criticized the expenditure of millions of rupees on a “safe city project”, highlighting that videos of private people were being recorded and shared, while criminals involved in this act remained free to roam. The court ordered the Ministry of Defence’s representative to ensure that the Director General (DG) Rangers appears in person, saying that this action “will have an effect”.
Justice Kayani went on to say that he would issue a show-cause notice to the DG Rangers in the next hearing. The assistant attorney general informed the court that Rangers had not received any instructions regarding the case.
In response, the judge said he would issue an order that would ensure everyone understood the gravity of the situation. Addressing the authorities, Justice Kayani remarked while addressing the authorities that if they cannot work effectively, then they should step down. Subsequently, the hearing was adjourned until Monday.
