KARACHI: Expressing serious concern over the kidnapping of a son of the Sindh High Court chief justice, Chief Justice of Pakistan Anwar Zaheer Jamali told the security and provincial administration here on Saturday that the incident sent a wrong message to the public and caused a sense of insecurity among judges and their families.

On June 20, Barrister Awais Ali Shah, son of SHC CJ Sajjad Ali Shah, was kidnapped by masked men in front of a Clifton superstore. However, police and other law enforcement agencies remained unaware of his kidnapping until his family reported it hours later.

The incident still remains a mystery despite the passage of five days.

Security agencies, civil administration told to take concerted steps for recovery of SHC CJ’s son

Perturbed over the incident, the CJP held three meetings with the Sindh chief secretary and home secretary, with the provincial police chief and with the Rangers director general at the Supreme Court’s Karachi registry to personally find out about any headway in the investigations.

All the officials briefed him about the kidnapping incident and measures taken so far for Barrister Shah’s recovery.

A brief statement issued after the meetings stated that the chief justice of Pakistan showed serious concern over the issue and directed the security agencies and civil administration to take effective and concerted measures to ensure recovery of Barrister Awais Ali Shah.

“The mishap has sent a wrong message to the general public and has caused disappointment and sense of insecurity amongst the judges and their families,” the CJP said, according to the statement.

He directed Chief Secretary Siddique Memon and Home Secretary Jamal Mustafa Shah to employ all resources to ensure improvement in the law and order situation of Sindh in general and of Karachi in particular.

During his meeting with Inspector General of Police (IGP) A.D. Khowaja and other officers of the operation and investigation wings of the Sindh police, the CJP was of the view that had the police taken timely action the situation would not have been what it’s now.

According to sources, Major General Bilal Akbar, the Rangers director general, informed Justice Jamali that efforts were being made to recover Barrister Shah and raids had been carried out in which some suspects were taken into custody.

Rabbani meets Sajjad

Meanwhile, Senate Chairman Mian Raza Rabbani met SHC CJ Sajjad Ali Shah in his chamber on Saturday to express solidarity with him over the kidnapping of his son.

Mr Rabbani urged the security apparatus and federal and provincial law enforcement agencies to team up and take every possible step for the recovery of Barrister Shah.

Earlier, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah also called on Justice Shah and expressed his sympathies.

Barrister Shah, eldest among the three siblings, had opened his law firm a year ago. Earlier, he remained associated with a renowned law firm for five years.

Graduate of a law college in London, he is also a visiting faculty member at the S.M. Law College.

The legal fraternity observed four-day boycott in a row since his abduction and gave an ultimatum for the recovery of the captive till Monday.

The lawyers’ leadership said they would announce their future course of action if the authorities concerned failed to get Barrister Shah freed till Monday.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2016