Commandant Mohmand Rifles summoned in
missing person’s case.
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on
Thursday in a missing person’s case summoned commandant Mohmand Rifles after
the deputy attorney general informed the court that he had repeatedly asked
him (the commandant) to submit written reply in the case, but to no avail.
A Peshawar High Court (PHC) division bench comprising Chief Justice Ejaz
Afzal Khan and Justice Mazhar Alam Miakhel when started hearing in a habeas
corpus petition, Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Mohammad Iqbal Mohmand informed
the court that he contacted commandant Mohmand Rifles three times asking him
to submit written comments about arrest and whereabouts of the missing person,
but he verbally showed ignorance and did not send written reply in the case.
The Deputy Attorney General requested the court to summon commandant Mohmand
Rifles through IG Frontier Corps (FC) in next hearing of the case. On this,
the court directed the IG FC to ensure appearance of commandant Mohmand Rifles
in next hearing of the case.
Human Right Commission South Asia (HRCSA) Pakistan representative Syed Iqbal
Kazmi had filed a writ petition in the Peshawar High Court seeking release and
whereabouts of Mohammad Wazir, 80, a resident of Safi tehsil in Mohmand
Agency. The HRCSA country representative stated in the writ petition that
relatives of the aged missing person contacted him for assistance stating that
on September 2, 2009, Mohmand Rifles personnel (allegedly) picked up Wazir
alleging that his son was involved in terrorist activities. Kazmi claimed that
he then visited Mohmand Agency and found the missing person in a lock-up and
took his photos.
The Human Right Commission South Asia (HRCSA) representative stated that he
then brought the issue in the notice of NWFP governor, chief minister and
other high-ups, but to no avail. Counsel for the petitioner Abdul Samad Khan Marwat
( Advocate ) who is also Human Right Commission South Asia (HRCSA) NWFP and
FATA Correspondent, contended before the court that the Political Tehsildar of
Mohmand Agency Jehanzeb Mehsud in his written comments to the court stated
that Wazir was arrested and detained by the Mohmand Rifles and not by the
political administration. He prayed the court to seek comments from commandant
Mohmand Rifles about the arrest and whereabouts of the missing person. On
this, the court summoned commandant Mohmand Rifles and directed IG FC to
ensure his appearance in the court in next hearing of the case.