Abductions in capital city

Incidents of kidnaping citizens from the federal capital Islamabad are on the rise. Police and other law enforcing agencies fail to trace their whereabouts and recover them after lodging of the FIRs by the kith and kin of missing persons. Few days ago, Additional Director of Security Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) Sajid Gondal was kidnaped and, as usual law enforcing, agencies failed to trace his whereabouts. Disappointed by the incompetence of police to recover her son, mother of Sajid Gondal filed a habeas corpus petition in Islamabad High Court. The abductee is the only bread earner of his family consisting of old age parents, wife and four minor children. While hearing the petition, Chief Justice Islamabad High Court, Justice Athar Minallah expressed serious concern over increasing incidents of enforced disappearances from the Capital Territory and directed the Interior Secretary Yousaf Naseem Khokar to take up this serious issue of basic fundamental rights with the Prime Minister. The reply of the Interior Secretary was not to the point in the court. He told that two police teams were constituted to trace the whereabouts of missing SECP high official but no clue could be found. On the vague version of the Interior secretary, Chief Justice Islamabad High Court remarked, if the state and court cannot protect the right of life of citizens then there is no reason to continue. The court issued directives to law enforcing agencies to ensure the recovery of SECP Additional Director by September 17. The case of another abducted person Abdul Qudus was fixed before the court of Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiyani, who has been missing since January 1. In this case Interior Minister and Attorney General have been summoned for September 16. A senior journalist Matiullah Jan had been kidnaped on July 21. The Capital Territory Police could not trace his whereabouts. However, he was released by the kidnappers after 12 hours. The surge in abductions and other crimes in Islamabad puts big question mark on the professional competence of Police Officers. One of the major reasons for degeneration in professionalism is their politically motivated posting and transfers. The SECP is an important Financial Regulatory Organisation, which is mandated with responsibilities and functions to develop a modern and efficient corporate sector and capital market based on sound authority principles in order to encourage economic growth and prosperity in Pakistan. Representative of SECP were included in the Inquiry Commissions that probed the sugar and wheat shortages scams and they gave valuable input for the recommendation in the commission report.