ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued directions to produce missing professors by August 13.
A single bench of Justice Miangul Hasan Aurangzeb on Friday heard the petition of Qazi Habibur Rehman, father of Professor Mazharul Hassan and Professor Zahoorul Hassan. He has sought the issuance of a writ of habeas corpus for the recovery of his sons.
During the proceeding, Babar Awan and Shoaib Shaheen, representing the petitioner informed that two professors – Mazharul Hassan and Zahoorul Hassan – have been missing since June 6.
The petition stated that the missing persons are the brothers of Azhar Mashwani, a human rights and social media activist and focal person of founding Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi.
It added that the professors have been missing since 06.06.2024. It has also been pleaded that armed personnel from the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) along with intelligence officers in plain clothes had abducted them from their house in Lahore. The petitioner had earlier filed writ petition No 36124/2024 before the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking the recovery of the detenues. Vide order dated 08.05.2024, the said writ petition was dismissed as withdrawn so as to enable the petitioner to seek his remedy before this Court.
Justice Miangul Hassan mentioned in his written order that one of the detenues, Professor Zahoorul Hassan filed a writ petition 1605-P/2024 before the Peshawar High Court (PHC) seeking the removal of his name from the Exit Control List (ECL).
In the written comments filed on behalf of the Ministry of Interior, it was pleaded inter alia that his name had been placed on the Passport Control List on 27.09.2023 on the basis of the report of a “security agency” and that his name can be removed from the said list on the recommendation of such agency. Particulars of the security agency have not been given in the said written comments.
He stated, “Be that as it may, the Assistant Attorney-General and the State counsel, who tendered appearance on Court’s call, are directed to obtain copies of all the documents on the basis of which, the said detenue’s name was placed on the ECL. This would be necessary for determining whether or not the security agency, which hitherto is unknown, is in any way involved in the detenues going missing.”
“It has also been pleaded that Azhar Mashwani, who is presently in the United Kingdom, received a call from WhatsApp No0342-6479909 and the caller asked him to delete tweets regarding the establishment and rigging in the elections,” stated the court’s order.
Assistant Attorney-General and the State counsel submitted that they would make proper and necessary inquiries from the relevant authorities to locate the identity of the caller who made call from the said cell phone number.
Later, the bench issued notice to the respondents with the direction to produce the detenues before this Court on the next date of hearing, which is fixed for August 13.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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