Citizens being abducted in vehicles with green number plates: IHC

ISLAMABAD: Citizens are being abducted in vehicles with green number plates and the federal government has failed to provide security to the people, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) remarked Monday during a hearing of a missing persons case.

Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani, who was presiding over the hearing of a petition pertaining to the recovery of a citizen identified as Abdul Quddus, expressed anger over the matter and summoned Interior Minister Brig (r) Ijaz Ahmad Shah and interior secretary on the next hearing.

Justice Kayani also issued a notice to Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan for judicial assistance.

"Tell the attorney general that closing one's eyes will not solve problems. Citizens are being abducted in vehicles with green number plates, the Islamabad police has failed.

"So should we write to the Sindh police to investigate," the IHC judge stated.

The judge further remarked how no police officer had ever booked an official of the intelligence agencies.

On the other hand, Malik Naeem, the superintendent of police (SP) for investigations heading the joint investigation team, told Justice Kayani that a first information report (FIR) of Abdul Quddus' kidnapping had been registered at the Karachi Company police station on January 1, 2020.

"I am leading the JIT of 50 missing persons," SP Naeem said.

The judge remarked that if he could not respond at the next hearing, then Prime Minister Imran Khan would be summoned.

The hearing was adjourned until September 16, 2020.