PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Saturday disposed of a petition seeking the recovery of an allegedly missing citizen, Sajid Raza, after concluding that there was no evidence to suggest he was in the custody of any state institution or law enforcement agency.
The case was heard by PHC Chief Justice SM Attique Shah, who directed the petitioner to seek relief through alternative legal forums if necessary.
During the proceedings, the court heard arguments from the petitioner’s counsel, the additional advocate general, officials of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), police authorities, and the government’s focal person on missing persons cases.
Following the hearing, the court issued a written order stating that the available evidence did not establish that Sajid Raza was being held by any government agency or law enforcement department.
According to the order, the petitioner, Hamid Shah, had prayed the court to direct the authorities to produce Sajid Raza before the bench. However, a senior law officer representing the CTD informed the court that the person was not in the custody of any law enforcement agency.
The relevant authorities denied allegations that Sajid Raza had been arrested, detained, or held by any state institution.
The court further noted that an examination of Call Detail Records (CDRs) revealed that Sajid Raza remained in regular contact with close relatives and friends during the period in which he was allegedly missing.
The written order stated that no concrete or credible evidence had been presented to establish that Sajid Raza was being unlawfully detained by any government authority.
“In these circumstances, there is no legal basis to declare the person a missing person or to issue the directions sought in the petition,” the court observed.
