The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday ordered Inspector General of Police (IG) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan to submit a final report in the case of Faizan Usman’s alleged abduction in court by September 10.
According to the petition filed in the IHC by Usman’s father for his recovery, the victim was taken away by men wearing black uniforms and civil dresses without a warrant on July 5. The petition nominated the state, defence ministry, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Islamabad IG, and the station house officer (SHO) of the Shehzad Town Police Station as respondents.
In a court order on Tuesday, the IGP was asked to “seek all assistance and will be provided such assistance” by the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) – which was added as respondent number six in the case – for the missing person’s recovery. It had also ordered the IG to produce Usman in court today, adding that if they were unable to produce him, the Islamabad police chief should appear before the court and submit a report on the information he had received from the concerned institutions. During the hearing today, conducted by Justice Babar Sattar, IG Khan said he contacted the FIA, Pakistan Telecommunications Authority, and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) for more information on the disappearance. “The court enquired whether the charge [for the abduction] was on intelligence agency, so did you inquire anything from them?” Justice Sattar asked.
The police chief said the ministry of defence had been contacted in this regard.
“Contact the intelligence agency, they don’t come under the defence ministry but are subordinate to the prime minister,” Justice Sattar said. “It seems that people are being abducted unabated,” he said, adding that protecting citizens was the police’s responsibility.
“If you fail, then people would come to the courts. A Vigo (double-cabin vehicle) enters a house, a person is abducted, and no one knows what happened, including the SHO. We all know how all of this works,” the judge added.
He gave the Islamabad police chief time until Tuesday to submit a final report, adding that the police could seek help from anyone if they needed it, and adjourned the hearing till September 10. According to the petition, Usman was taken away by men in black uniforms and civil dresses without a warrant on July 5. Filed by Usman’s father, the petition said that the abductors claimed to belong to the CTD.
Usman’s father – in the petition – said that the men questioned his son in his office and told him later that they would be taking away his son for a “few days” and would return him shortly. The petitioner had no choice but to comply, the petition said.
It said that the petitioner wanted to file a first information report into the case, however, he was threatened by the men who abducted his son to not approach the police in the matter. Usman’s lawyer, Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir, in a post on X a day ago, said that it has been two months since he was taken away but “the agencies have not released him yet”. “Who will account for this cruelty? The state is only creating hatred in the hearts of the people against itself,” she said.
