ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday directed the Islamabad and Punjab police to recover four Afghan brothers who have been missing since January 2024, giving the authorities a strict two-week deadline.
Justice Muhammad Asif presided over the hearing of the petition filed regarding the disappearance of the four brothers from the federal capital over a year ago. Senior police officials, including the Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs) of Islamabad and Lahore, and the Regional Police Officer (RPO) of Rawalpindi, appeared before the court.
During the proceedings, Justice Asif invited the mother of the missing men, Gul Seema, to the rostrum and engaged with her in Pashto. He later translated her words for the courtroom, stating, “She has been coming to the High Court since August. If her sons have died, then tell her.”
The judge expressed frustration with the prolonged delay in progress, adding, “Those whose loved ones are missing die every moment — how long will this continue?”
The DIG Islamabad requested additional time to locate the missing individuals, which drew sharp criticism from the petitioner’s lawyer. The lawyer highlighted that the case had been dragging for eight months with no concrete outcome and questioned whether any proper FIRs had been registered for all four brothers.
Justice Asif also questioned the absence of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), who had previously been summoned. The government lawyer explained that the IGP was unavailable, but other senior officers were present. He requested more time to submit a fresh report.
“There’s no point in repeatedly granting time,” Justice Asif remarked. “We want the individuals recovered. We are giving you two weeks — inform us of the results.”
The court then issued a firm directive for the recovery of the missing men within two weeks and adjourned the hearing until May 5, urging authorities to act decisively in the matter
