Missing doctor’s case sent to JCMP

LAHORE – The Ministry Of Defense on Thursday informed the Lahore High Court that the case of Jinnah Hospital’s missing doctor, Ali Abdullah, has been referred to the Judicial Commission for Missing People (JCMP). Hussain Shahbaz, deputy director legal in the ministry, said this while appearing before the court of Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, who was hearing a habeas corpus petition for the recovery of Dr Ali Abdullah from alleged custody of ISI. The officer submitted a written report in this regard and further informed the court that the petitioner, father of the missing doctor, had also approached the commission personally. He said that as many as 392 cases were registered with the commission, out of which 138 were pending while remaining had been disposed of. After hearing the contention and going through the report of the ministry,
the court adjourned the hearing till April 1.
Dr Sarfraz filed the petition for recovery of his son Dr Ali Abdullah, allegedly taken into custody by ISI. However, the premier intelligence agency assured the court that Dr Ali Abdullah was neither in its custody nor he was wanted to it in any case.
Petitioner submitted that Dr Ali worked in Jinnah Hospital and was missing for many days. He alleged that personnel of secret agencies abducted him when he was on his way to home from the hospital. He requested the court to issue directions for federal and provincial government to get his son recovered and produce him before the court. Earlier, the Defense Ministry and the Interior Ministry in their written replies had informed the court that agencies working under their control had no knowledge about the whereabouts of the doctor.