RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday summoned the superintendent of Adiala jail, and directed the district police officer to file an affidavit in connection with a petition seeking the recovery of deputy superintendent of jail Mohammad Akram, who went missing from Adiala Jail Officers’ Colony.

The petition alleged that Deputy Superintendent Mohammad Akram was picked up by an intelligence agency from his residence in the Officers’ Colony.

According to me­­dia reports, Akram was allegedly taken into custody by law-enforcement agencies on charges of ‘facilitating PTI founder as a messenger’.

While the officer was posted out from Adiala in June, he was still residing along with his family in Adiala Jail Officers’ Colony.

Jail administration unaware of ‘disappearance’, Punjab govt official informs LHC

Justice Mohammad Raza Qure­shi of LHC’s Rawalpindi bench last week took up the petition filed by Akram’s wife Memoona Riaz through her counsel Imaan Mazari.

The court after preliminary hearing issued notices to the relevant respondents.

On behalf of the jail authorities, Additional Advocate General Malik Amjad Ali Khan submitted the report claiming that the jail administration was unaware of DS Akram’s disappearance since the Officers’ Colony was not situated on the Adiala jail premises.

The report mentioned that Akram had already been transferred from Adiala in June and the petitioner did not report the incident to the jail authorities.

Saddar Beroni Police SHO informed the court that the spouse of the ‘missing’ deputy superintendent did not lodge a ‘formal’ complaint against the alleged abduction of her husband.

Advocate Mazari adopted before the court that the petitioner’s husband was forcibly taken away by personnel claiming to be from law enforcement agencies from Adiala Jail Officer’s Colony on Aug 14, at 5am.

The petition stated unidentified mas­ked personnel, who had arrived in a Vigo, informed the petitioner that they were “with the Department/Mehekma” and that she should send her husband outside.

The officer, Mohammad Akram, then approached the main gate to inform the officials that he would come with them after changing his clothes. But the armed men continued to ring the bell until he returned to the gate along with his two sons, one daughter and wife.

The children then witnessed the enfor­c­­ed disappearance, the court was informed.

The masked personnel dragged the officer in front of his family, despite his request that he be allowed to approach the jail superintendent first, the petition stated, adding that his elder son also recorded part of the abduction using his cellphone, but upon their intimidation he threw the phone which broke.

According to the petition, unidentified persons raided Mohammad Akram’s house again on the night of Aug 15 without showing any warrants and confiscated the electronic devices. His whereabouts were unknown since his abduction, the petition pointed out while requesting the court to direct the authorities concerned to trace and produce him before the court.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2024