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IHC Summons Islamabad IGP Over Disappearance of Journalist Noorani’s Brothers
IHC summons Islamabad IGP on March 26 over disappearance of journalist Ahmad Noorani’s brothers. Petitioner alleges enforced disappearance as retaliation for his reporting.
ND
by News Desk
2025-03-24
IHC Summons Islamabad IGP Over Disappearance of Journalist Noorani’s Brothers

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday summoned the Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) in connection with the disappearance of journalist Ahmad Noorani’s two brothers. The court expressed dissatisfaction with the police response and ordered the IGP to appear on March 26.

Noorani, a US-based investigative journalist working with FactFocus, recently published a report on a high-ranking military official and his family. Days later, his brothers, Muhammad Saifur Rehman Haider and Muhammad Ali, went missing from their Islamabad residence in the early hours of March 20.

Their mother, Amina Bashir, filed a petition in the IHC seeking their recovery, alleging that they were “forcibly disappeared” by unidentified personnel, whom she suspects belong to intelligence agencies. The petition claims that the abduction is a reprisal against Noorani’s journalistic work.

Court Proceedings & Police Response

During Monday’s hearing, Advocate Imaan Hazir Mazari, representing the petitioner, criticized authorities for failing to register an FIR despite the passage of six days. The court had previously ordered the Station House Officer (SHO) of Noon Police Station to submit a detailed report, but Justice Raja Inam Ameen Minhas found the report unsatisfactory.

The SHO informed the court that police were using geofencing, analyzing call detail records, and reviewing CCTV footage in the case. However, the judge reprimanded the officer for failing to provide concrete findings.

The Islamabad police’s lawyer claimed that no formal application had been filed for an FIR. In response, Justice Minhas stated that the matter of filing an FIR was not under discussion at this stage and emphasized that the police had a duty to investigate regardless.

Mazari accused intelligence agencies of orchestrating the abduction, asserting that Noorani’s family was being targeted due to his reporting. She further questioned how the police could claim to be investigating without first registering a case.

Emotional Plea from Noorani’s Family

During the proceedings, Noorani’s mother broke down in tears and pleaded with the court: “Will the high court be responsible if something happens to my children?”

The judge, while acknowledging the gravity of the case, stated that he would only issue orders that could be enforced. Mazari requested an urgent hearing, but the court adjourned the case until March 26.

The case highlights growing concerns over press freedom and enforced disappearances in Pakistan. While the IHC has taken up the matter, it remains to be seen whether the authorities will take meaningful action in recovering the missing individuals.
Tagged:

Pakistan

IHC

HumanRights

PressFreedom

EnforcedDisappearances

AhmadNoorani
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