ISLAMABAD: The Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that the missing professors, brothers of social media activist Azhar Mashwani, are not in ISI’s custody.
A single bench of Chief Justice Aamer Farooq, on Friday, heard a petition filed by Qazi Habib ur Rehman, father of Professor Mazhar ul Hassan and Professor Zahoor ul Hassan and sought the issuance of a writ of habeas corpus for the recovery of the detenues who have been missing since June 6.
During the hearing, AGP Mansoor Usman Awan appeared before the court and submitted that the contact has been established with the premier agency of Pakistan, which “has categorically stated that the missing persons are not in their custody.”
He told that all out efforts are being made to trace the missing persons and sought time in this regard. The petitioner’s counsel, Babar Awan, objected to that and submitted that it is the primary function of the Federation to be responsible for the life and liberty of the individuals of Pakistan.
Justice Aamer noted in his written order, “Be that as it may, since learned Attorney General for Pakistan has made a categorical statement, let a report be filed as to the efforts made so far and the same being made to trace and recover the missing persons.”
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 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 Vide order dated 08.05.2024, the said writ petition was dismissed as withdrawn so as to enable the petitioner to seek his remedy before this Court.
After issuing the directions, the chief justice ordered to re-list the case in the next week.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024