The Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that he would need fourteen days to recover the two missing brothers of journalist Ahmad Noorani.
The US-based Noorani, who works for a news outlet called FactFocus, recently published an investigative report regarding a serving high-ranking military official and his relatives.
Noorani’s two brothers, Muhammad Saifur Rehman Haider and Muhammad Ali, went missing from their residence on March 19. Noorani’s mother Amina Bashir had filed a plea with the IHC for the recovery of his two brothers. On Tuesday, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) demanded the immediate release of Noorani’s brothers, calling it a “clear reprisal to intimidate and silence [Noorani].”
Today’s hearing was heard by Justice Inam Ameen Minhas, while Advocate Imaan Mazari-Hazir, representing the petitioner, appeared before the court along with Noorani’s mother and sister.At the outset of the hearing, Justice Minhas asked IGP Ali Nasir Rizvi how much time he would need to recover the two brothers, to which the IGP replied that he’d need two weeks.
“Take one year,” Noorani’s mother cried out as she appeared on the rostrum.Justice Minhas said to the IGP: “I had asked the station house officer to inquire and tell us.”The IGP responded that he was supervising the matter and had formed a special investigation team under the supervision of the senior superintendent of police operations.
“We have done geofencing and also obtained CDR (Call Detail Records). No one in 27 police stations or CTD has information [on the brothers’ whereabouts],” he told the court.“We have contacted all IGPs and prisons across the country, but such information is not available anywhere,” he said. “We have been in contact with the IGPs of all provinces and sought information.”
IGP Rizvi said that the Intelligence Bureau (IB) has been informed and a reply is awaited from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).“No one with these names has gone abroad,” the IGP told the court.He added that they have checked with the chief commissioner, local districts and hospitals, but no information has turned up.
“We also checked with [Rescue] 15, nothing was found,” IGP Rizvi said. “15 has an auto-record system, we have not received any calls at this time.”The court asked what the solution was since people had already gone missing.
