IHC summons defence, interior joint secretaries after PTI candidate 'goes missing'

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has summoned the joint secretaries of the interior and defence ministries after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Barrister Abdullah Mumtaz Kahloon went "missing" from outside the Islamabad International Airport.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq heard a protective bail plea filed by the PTI candidate who had filed his nomination papers from PP-76 Sargodha.

Barrister Abdullah was allegedly picked up from outside the airport soon after he arrived in Islamabad from abroad.

Additional Attorney General Munawar Iqbal Duggal appeared in the hearing on behalf of the government.

He apprised the high court that Abdullah could be seen on CCTV cameras while coming outside the airport and he then departed for an unknown location with three to four persons without resisting them.

CJ Farooq questioned whether the faces of those people could be seen or not. He also inquired about any CCTV cameras in the airport’s parking area. To this, Duggal replied that the faces of other people coming with Abdullah were not visible in the footage.

The IHC chief justice asked the additional attorney general how the authorities would handle this matter. Duggal replied that they would write to the sensitive institutions to trace Abdullah out.

CJ Farooq reprimanded authorities for violating the court orders. He remarked how he would implement his orders after a clear violation was committed. The judge added that he was going to summon the joint secretaries of the defence and interior ministries.

It is noteworthy to mention here that the ‘missing’ candidate from the former ruling party had already secured protective bail in a case registered against him in Sargodha before arriving in Pakistan.

The hearing was adjourned till January 15.

The Imran Khan-led party’s leadership is facing a plethora of cases — especially pertaining to the May 9 riots — with senior leaders, including its founder, Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and others, behind bars.