Justice Riaz Ahmed Khan of the Islamabad High Court on Wednesday took an exception to ISI chief’s non-appearance before the court in a case relating to a missing person believed to be in the custody of the country’s principal spy agency.
Although the judge accepted an application by the ISI director general (DG) seeking exemption from appearance after an affidavit was submitted that the ‘missing person’ was not in the custody of the spy service, he warned that the judicial system should not be ridiculed.
“We don’t take pleasure in summoning the ISI DG, but nobody appeared despite getting six weeks, we have no choice. Don’t ridicule the judicial system,” the judge was quoted as saying.
The IHC disposed off the case ruling that the issue needs to be further investigated and evidenced.
The ruling said the court has no authority to order investigations and seek evidence, as a commission was already working on the missing persons’ issue.
The case was disposed off after Colonel Fayaz submitted a sealed report, stating that the missing person Muhammad Arif was not in the ISI’s custody.
