RAWALPINDI: Following intervention by the Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi Bench, police have registered a first information report (FIR) regarding the alleged kidnapping of the former deputy superintendent of Adiala jail, Mohammad Akram.

The former official had reportedly been picked up by law enforcement agencies in connection with facilitating Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan in jail.

A complaint was lodged with the Saddar Bairooni police by Maimoona Riaz, Mohammad Akram’s wife, a resident of Officers Colony, Adiala Jail, on the night of August 15.

According to the FIR, on August 14, the doorbell of Ms Riaz’s house rang out loudly at 5am. The man who rang the bell was an unfamiliar individual who did not identify himself but claimed to be from the neighbourhood. Despite Ms Riaz’s inquiries, the person outside did not provide a name. When Mr Akram answered the door, he found three masked individuals in dark clothing and another masked person in a double cabin vehicle parked outside with its engine switched on.

The masked men insisted that Mr Akram accompany them as their SP wanted to speak to him. Mr Akram requested them to let him change his night clothes, but within minutes they began ringing the doorbell incessantly, causing panic among the family. Ms Riaz sent her elder son to calm them down, but they continued to ring the bell aggressively.

“It looked as if they would force their way inside the house after breaking the door. Due to this, the children started sobbing,” Ms Riaz said in the FIR.

When Mr Akram and his family went outside, his son attempted to record the incident, but when one of the masked men tried to grab the phone, he threw it on to the rooftop.

Despite Mr Akram’s request to meet the jail superintendent, the masked men forced him into their vehicle and drove away. The family’s plea for proper identification or arrest warrants went unanswered.

Ms Riaz raised concerns as to how the masked individuals could enter the Officers Colony near gate #1 of the jail, where access was restricted. Later, two officials — an additional superintendent and a deputy superintendent — arrived at the residence and demanded the damaged mobile phone used for recording the incident be given to them. They then took the broken phone with them.

However, the police said in the FIR that the application of Maimoona Riaz was received as her house was located near gate #1 where security personnel were present round the clock. The police observed that no unauthorised person or vehicle should have entered the area.

Police said that as per the initial information gathered from Adiala jail, no such incident was confirmed neither was there a neutral witness nor any CCTV footage.

It further said that the applicant had neither informed the jail superintendent nor did she inform the security staff of the jail about the incident. It further said that the alleged kidnapped person had not been posted in the jail, hence, the complaint needed to be investigated. Therefore, Sub-inspector Aftab Ahmad was assigned to probe and then take legal action.

The complaint was lodged with the police on August 15 while the FIR was registered with Saddar Bairooni police on August 21 at 9am under section 365 (kidnapping).

The FIR was registered with the police after the wife of the missing deputy superintendent knocked on the door of Lahore High Court Rawalpindi bench. Justice Raza Qureshi expressed displeasure over the absence of CPO Rawalpindi and inquired where he was.

The honourable judge ordered the CPO to appear in person before the court on Thursday and warned that if he failed to do so, he would be removed from his position. SHO Saddar Bairooni later presented the copy of the FIR.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2024