LHC seeks report on missing doctor by 27th

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LAHORE – Mr Justice Chaudhry Iftikhar Hussain of the Lahore High Court has sought progress report till January 27 from the investigation teams of police on the whereabouts of a missing doctor of Jinnah Hospital Lahore.
On next hearing, the court also summoned Abdul Manan, a reporter of an English daily, who had published a story in his newspaper, stating the missing doctor was into custody of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).
The judge was hearing a petition of Dr Sarfaraz, seeking recovery of his son Dr Ali Abdullah, who is, according to him, into the custody of ISI.
During the proceedings, the petitioner prayed to the court to summon the ISI director general, directing him to produce Dr Ali Abdullah in the court.
Deputy Attorney General Naveed Inayat Malik raised the objection that there was no need to summon the ISI DG because the agency had already submitted its written reply in the court, denying the allegation of having taken the missing doctor into its custody.
The DAG stressed that he had earlier submitted a report on behalf of ISI in the court after consulting the ISI DG on the matter and he had assured him that the reply was based on facts and that the doctor was not into the agency’s custody.
After hearing arguments from the two sides, the judge sought progress report from the two teams of police investigators in the case.
Earlier, the judge sought comments from the ISI DG on a news item published on July 17, 2010, in The Express Tribune, saying that the missing doctor of Jinnah Hospital was into custody of the agency. The comments have not been received so far. The judge, however, said the silence of the intelligence agency on the news gives air to some serious doubts and the ISI DG should explain his stance on it.
The FIR of the doctor’s disappearance was lodged in Garden Town Police Station by his father Dr Srfraz.
Dr Sarfraz had submitted that his son who worked in Jinnah Hospital went missing while coming home from the hospital. He alleged the personnel of secret agencies had abducted him.
Previously, SP CIA Omer Virk, the defence ministry and interior ministry in their written replies had informed the court that the intelligence agencies had no knowledge about the whereabouts of the doctor.