SC summons Punjab CS over prisoners’ abduction

ISLAMABAD: A three-member Supreme Court bench on Monday summoned the Punjab chief secretary for today (Tuesday) to explain why 11 prisoners, allegedly abducted from Adiala Jail, could not be recovered so far.
The bench consisting of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday was hearing a case involving the alleged abduction of 11 prisoners involved in heinous crimes from Adiala Jail by intelligence agencies.
The court admonished the Punjab home secretary and the prisons inspector general after the Punjab additional advocate general informed the bench that police had failed to make any headway in the recovery of the abducted prisoners.
Punjab Home Secretary Shahid Khan, Punjab Prisons IG Kokab Nadeem Warraich, Additional Advocate General Punjab Khadim Hussain Qaisar, Rawalpindi CPO Fakhar Sultan, Rawalpindi DCO Imdadullah Bosal and Deputy Attorney General KK Agha appeared in court on notice.
The court asked the AAG to read out the Lahore High Court verdict that ordered release of the prisoners, who were allegedly abducted by the intelligence agencies from the jail. The home secretary told the court that he had been appointed to the court recently, and was not completely aware of the matter.
“You are equally responsible for this and you will have to produce the missing people,” the chief justice said. “If you are trying to say that DCO, CPO and the former home secretary are responsible for the matter, they will all have to go behind bars,” Justice Ramday said.
“When all officials are aware of the matter, why have you remained ignorant?” the chief justice asked. To a court query, Shahid Khan said the police may be allowed further time to investigate the matter and produce results.
“Your chief secretary should appear in court and tell that you are helpless in providing protection to the people,” Justice Ramday told the home secretary. “Why is police not rendering its professional obligations?” the chief justice remarked.
Deputy Attorney General KK Agha told the court that as per allegations that the prisoners were handed over to intelligence agencies, he had contacted all intelligence agencies, who said the missing individuals were not in their custody. The court adjourned proceedings until today (Tuesday).