ISLAMABAD: A missing person has died allegedly in the custody of an intelligence agency, according to sources.
Kaleemullah, 22, was coming out of a mosque in Kalar Syedan near Rawalpindi in June last year when personnel of an intelligence agency allegedly took him away. Son of a retired Khateeb of the army, Younis Farooq, Kaleemullah was found dead in a hospital in Chakwal on Jan 1.
The PML-N government in October introduced the Protection of Pakistan (PPO) ordinance with the hope that besides helping it in fighting terrorism the new law would end the issue of missing persons as it provides legal cover to detention of suspects.
According to a petition filed by Kaleemullah’s father in the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court (LHC), he was picked up for allegedly having links with the Taliban.
The petitioner lodged an FIR against unidentified abductors with the Kalar Syedan police on July 10 last year.
The LHC observing that police were still investigating the matter disposed of the petition on July 11.
Mr Farooq then filed an application in the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances constituted by the Supreme Court, but to no avail.
According to him, he received a call on Jan 1 from a ‘private number’ and the unknown caller informed him that his son was in a police station of Chakwal.
When Mr Farooq reached the police station, officials there informed him that his son had been admitted in a hospital. He went to the hospital but only to find the body of Kaleemullah.
Mr Farooq sent applications to the Chief Justice of Pakistan and the Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court for taking action against officials of intelligence agencies.
Advocate Inamur Rahim, the counsel for Mr Farooq, termed Kaleemullah the first victim of the PPO. “It seems that the ordinance could not bring intelligence agencies into its ambit. I don’t think the PPO can end the missing persons’ issue,” he said.