Islamabad: Islamabad High Court (IHC) has expressed dissatisfaction with the report submitted by the Station House Officer (SHO) of Noon Police Station regarding the disappearance of the brothers of Pakistani journalist Ahmad Noorani, who is currently residing in the United States. The court has summoned the Inspector General (IG) of Islamabad Police to appear in person on March 26.
On Monday, Justice Inam Amin Minhas of the IHC heard the petition filed by Ahmad Noorani’s mother. Advocate Imaan Mazari, along with Noorani’s mother and sister, appeared before the court.
During the hearing, Noorani’s mother, visibly emotional, took to the rostrum and questioned whether the High Court would be held responsible if anything happened to her sons.
The SHO of Noon Police Station submitted a report stating that all available resources were being utilized to locate the missing individuals. He informed the court that geo-fencing and call data records had been analyzed and that CCTV footage from the area around the victims' residence had been reviewed.
However, Justice Minhas expressed dissatisfaction with the report, stating that it lacked concrete findings.
Islamabad Police further claimed that no formal request for lodging a case had been submitted by the petitioners. In response, the judge clarified that the court was not currently discussing the filing of an FIR, as the petitioners had other legal forums available.
Advocate Imaan Mazari questioned how police investigations had been conducted for five days without an FIR being registered. Justice Minhas then announced that he would summon the IG Islamabad Police to ensure a thorough investigation.
During the hearing, Imaan Mazari alleged that intelligence agencies were directly involved in the abduction, claiming that Noorani’s brothers were targeted due to his investigative journalism.
Justice Minhas, however, maintained that the court would only pass orders that could be effectively implemented. The case hearing has been adjourned until March 26.
Last week, Ahmad Noorani’s family alleged that an "attack" had taken place at their residence in Islamabad, during which two of his brothers were abducted. Noorani, who has been living in the US for several years, claimed on social media that his family was not only harassed but also subjected to violence due to his reporting.
In the petition filed by Noorani’s mother, it is alleged that at 1:05 AM on Tuesday night, unknown personnel, reportedly from two intelligence agencies, abducted her two sons. However, independent verification of these claims has not been made.
The petition further states that the two abducted individuals are engineers and have no connection to Ahmad Noorani’s journalism or investigative reporting.
The petitioner, Amina Bashir, has named the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Interior, IG Islamabad Police, and the SHO of Noon Police Station as respondents. She has urged the court to ensure the immediate recovery of her sons and their production before the High Court.
Additionally, the petition requests the court to direct authorities to identify those responsible for the alleged illegal detention and initiate an investigation against them.
