KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday ordered police and FIA to recover 19 missing children and submit the report by January 17.
A two-member bench, headed by Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto, was hearing a case regarding the missing children.
The bench expressed its concern over the disappearance of children and questioned the performance of law enforcement agencies. “Children are being reported missing but you people are resting in peace,” Justice KK Agha remarked.
The court expressed displeasure over the absence of FIA officials and summoned the FIA director in the next hearing.
The judges ordered that the FIA and police should work jointly and take steps for the recovery of the children reported missing and also use modern technology to trace the children.
The bench directed the Sindh Police DIG to attend every hearing of the case. The DIG informed the court that the Police Department is holding meetings at the Inspector General Police (IGP) office for recovery of the missing children.
Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto retorted the DIG, “We have nothing to do with the meetings, we want recovery of the children.”
The court ordered the law enforcement agencies to trace 19 missing children and submit a report in the court by January 17.
A petition was filed by the Roshni Research and Development Welfare in 2012 seeking court orders for the provincial police to consider the missing children’s cases, who went missing from different parts of Karachi, a cognizable offence and register FIRs in that regard.
The petition claimed that cases of missing kids were not properly investigated by the police department.