Despite the lapse of five months, police investigators have yet to find a clue on the missing boy, whose friend died after falling from an aircraft in an attempt to escape to Dubai by hiding in an aircrafts’ wheel well almost five months ago on Jan 13.
On Jan 13, Qasim Amin, 19, resident of Daroghawala, died after falling from a height of about 1000 feet on a house’s rooftop in Al-Faisal Town in the North Cantonment Police precincts failing in a daring attempt to escape to Dubai by hiding in an airplane’s landing gear box. Police investigators later learnt Qasim’s close friend, Ali Jamshaid, who lived a few streets away, was also missing.
However, Ali Jamshaid is yet to be traced, despite the case having been treated as a high profile case in which the government had admitted serious security lapses and PM Yousaf Raza Gilani had taken notice and ordered an inquiry. However, the inquiry was concluded a week later by the inquiry officer and never disclosed by the government.
Only a few days after the incident, SP Investigation Cantt Division Ameen Bukhari had claimed to Pakistan Today Civil Aviation authorities and Airport Security Force were not cooperating and expressed the view that the missing boy was in the custody of an intelligence agency. None of the two boys family were found aware of the plan during initial probe investigations.
However, Lahore Police Investigation Wing sources told Pakistan Today that investigators only used routine methods to investigate the matter. They said if the incident had been investigated well preliminary stages it would have yielded resulted, however, it was now a ‘dead case.’
A source privy to the case investigation, however, said investigators found a mobile number which could lead to a clue on the location of the missing boy.
Order to restart inquiry: However when contacted SSP Investigation Abdul Razaq Cheema said that Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) had been ordered to restart the stowaway case and find the missing boy. He said the team was assigned because police station investigators could not give attention to such old cases due to work load.
He said that the new team would restart investigations and record statements of concerned individuals including Ali Jamshaid’s parents and friends and ASF and Civil Aviation officials. To a question, he said that Civil Aviation and ASF officials shall respond with written queries once they are sent questions.
However, sources claimed no serious investigation would be the outcome. They said the SSP Investigation had taken the step in response to a petition filed in the Sessions’ Court by the father of Qasim Amin and police had been ordered to present their progress report to the Sessions Court, which had not been presented yet.
A waiting family: On the other hand, Ali Jamshaid’s family still awaits new on him. Ali’s father Jamshaid Ahmed told Pakistan Today that he and his wife strongly believed that Ali was still alive and was in the hands of agencies. He said that he had contacted several policemen, ASF, Civil Agency and agency officials but no one had provided a satisfactory answers. “Only a few weeks ago, an ISI colonel called me and said they had never arrested Ali Jamshaid.”
He said police investigators were only giving false consolations. He said they were praying for his return. He said Qasim’s recovered body carried Ali’s jacket which had been purchased two days before he went missing.
“If Ali had joined Qasim in the flight, then, Ali would have used his jacket to protect himself and not handed it to Qasim,” he said. He said he felt his son had been enticed by Qasim and never showed intent to go abroad. He appealed authorities concerned help him find his son.
