KARACHI: Expressing resentment over law enforcement agencies’ failure to recover the kidnapped son of the Sindh High Court chief justice, the SHC urged the prime minister and the president on Thursday to ensure his recovery.
According to sources, the high court judges at a meeting expressed serious concern over the non-recovery of Barrister Awais Ali Shah, son of SHC Chief Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, despite the passage of 24 days.
Barrister Shah was kidnapped from Clifton on June 20.
The judges were of the opinion that the kidnapping was against the independence of the judiciary because judges and their families were exposed to any untoward incident which might hamper dispensation of justice and create a sense of insecurity among citizens.
Judges express serious concern over the safety and security of their families
However, according to the sources, the judges expressed their resolve to dispense justice to public at large without any fear or favour and would continue to discharge their duties in accordance with the Constitution.
Keeping in view the sensitivity of the matter, the meeting urged the prime minister and the president to use their offices to ensure safe recovery of Barrister Shah.
The meeting noted that since the Sindh High Court Bar Association had already filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the kidnapping, the fate of its proceedings and result would be awaited. It also expressed the hope that law enforcement agencies would ensure recovery of the kidnapped lawyer.
The sources said the judges had also expressed serious concern over the safety and security of their families since no useful step had so far been taken by the authorities concerned to enhance their security. The judges decided to chalk out a future course of action at the next meeting, which may be convened in the light of further development in the matter.
Masked men took away Barrister Shah from outside a superstore in Clifton and police and other law enforcement agencies remained unaware of the kidnapping until his family reported it hours later. The incident still remains a mystery.
On June 25, Chief Justice of Pakistan Anwar Zaheer Jamali had expressed serious concern over the kidnapping of Barrister Shah and directed security agencies and the civil administration to take effective and concerted measures to ensure his recovery. He observed that the incident had sent a wrong message to the public and created a sense of insecurity among judges and their families.
The apex court is likely to take up the matter again on Friday.
Barrister Shah, the eldest among three siblings, had opened his law firm a year ago after having remained associated with a renowned law firm for five years.
