Islamabad High Court grills PM Advisor over missing persons case

Islamabad High Court grills PM Advisor over missing persons case

ISLAMABAD:The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday directed Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Mirza Shehzad Akbar to submit detailed report in three weeks, on the rise of incidents of missing persons and crime rate in the federal capital.

The court also directed PM's adviser to apprise the Prime Minister about poor investigation system of police and miserable condition of district courts.

Adviser to the Prime Minister Shahzad Akbar, Chief Commissioner ICT, inspector general of police (IGP) and deputy commissioner appeared before the court of Chief Justice IHC Justice Athar Minallah, hearing the case regarding missing of Security and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP)’s official Sajid Gondal.

At the outset of hearing, the CJ asking Mr.Akbar that if he knew, why he was summoned remarked that the adviser must have seen IGP’s report which discloses horrible revelations.

The bench observed that the whole system had become corrupt and there were no professional and trained investigation officers in Islamabad police.

The federal capital which comprised of only 1400 square miles area should be developed as a model city, Justice Minallah said, adding that the situation of district courts was also miserable.

The chief justice asked Shahzad Akbar to prepare a report within two weeks pertaining to the problems of citizens and share it with the Prime Minister.

Shahzad Akbar apprised the bench that the matter of missing persons had been laced before cabinet which had constituted a sub-committee to make recommendations.

He said that as the incident of Sajid Gondal came into PM's knowledge he took notice of it and constituted a sub-committee to furnish report on the incidents of missing persons across the country within one week.

The chief justice noted that an un-experienced investigation officer of police was used to be given only Rs. 350 against a case investigation.

"How would he manage the remaining expenditure," the chief justice questioned and observed that this definitely led to corruption.

The chief justice remarked that there were conflicts of interests in system as interior ministry, FIA and other departments were themselves involved in real estate business.

The court directed the adviser to the Prime Minister to examine the complete record and submit a comprehensive report to the bench within three weeks and adjourned hearing of the case till October 19.