Islamabad: The Ministry of Defence informed the Islamabad High Court that it has no knowledge of the whereabouts of two brothers who went missing from Islamabad 20 days ago. “They are neither in our custody nor do we know where they are,” a ministry representative stated during the court hearing.
During Monday’s proceedings, which were presided over by Justice Inam Amin Minhas, prominent human rights lawyer Imaan Mazari, representing the petitioners, countered the Defence Ministry’s statement by saying, “This is not a matter for the blue uniforms (police), this must be asked of those in khaki,” implying the involvement of intelligence agencies.
The case pertains to the disappearance of journalist Ahmad Noorani’s brothers, Safe-ur-Rehman Haider and Muhammad Ali, who were allegedly abducted around 1:05 AM by unidentified personnel believed to be from intelligence agencies, according to a petition filed by their mother.
Inspector General of Islamabad Police, Ali Nasir Rizvi, told the court that the SIM activity of the missing brothers’ phones was detected in Bahawalpur, particularly in the Uch Sharif area, on March 22 and 23. He said the phones were inactive from March 19 to 21.
IG Rizvi reported that a special investigation team had been formed, which tracked SIM card activity to Bahawalpur. Teams were dispatched to Bahawalpur and Sindh, and relevant police departments including IG Punjab and IG Sindh were informed. He also revealed that the brothers have roots in Bahawalpur, which may be relevant to the case.
Justice Minhas questioned the efficacy of the investigation, asking, “Who is responsible for the abduction of the two brothers from Islamabad? Don’t give me paper reports — practically tell me what you have done.”
The IG responded that the police are also analyzing contacts made from the phones and using locators in four key areas including Uch Sharif, Bahawalpur, and Vehari.
Justice Minhas concluded the session with a firm directive: “My instruction is clear — produce the individuals.”
The case remains ongoing, with pressure mounting on security agencies and police to reveal the fate of the missing brothers.
