In Karachi, the Sindh High Court has issued directives for the utilization of contemporary technology and the dissemination of photographs on social media platforms to facilitate the recovery of missing individuals, as part of petitions addressing this concern. The two-member bench, led by Justice Nimatullah Phalphoto, presided over the proceedings pertaining to the missing persons. The court sought an account of the actions taken by the investigating officer in the recovery efforts. The officer reported the convening of 21 Joint Investigation Teams (JITs) and 16 provincial task force meetings.
During the proceedings, the family of Muhammad Zubair, missing since 2014 from Baghdadi, expressed concern over the lack of progress in locating him. Justice Nimatullah Phalphoto assured the family of justice and inquired about the case of Hasan Dilawar, missing since 2015 from Landhi, with no information on his whereabouts. The investigating officer mentioned the conduct of 30 JITs and 12 provincial task force meetings.
Another missing citizen, Saqib Afridi, since 2015, prompted the court to question the steps taken for recovery. The SSP Investigation stated that 22 JITs and 15 Provincial Task Force meetings had been conducted, emphasizing ongoing search efforts. Expressing dissatisfaction with the progress, the court criticized the investigating officers for not tracing the missing citizens despite numerous JITs.
The families of three additional missing citizens, Syed Naveed Ali, Zafar Iqbal, and Aizaz Hassan, presented their cases to the court. The High Court directed the investigating officers to persist in their search and instructed the publication of missing citizens’ photos on social media, emphasizing the use of modern technology for their recovery. The court adjourned the hearing until February 8, with a request for a progress report from the SP investigation at the next session.
