Pakistan court demands whereabouts of journalist Ahmad Noorani’s ‘missing’ brothers

A Pakistani police official informed Islamabad High Court Justice Inam Ameen Minhas on Friday that authorities have not registered a First Information Report (FIR) and do not know the whereabouts of journalist Ahmad Noorani's two brothers, who have been missing since March 19.

Station House Officer (SHO) Kamal Khan told the court that an application was received from Ameena Bashir, the mother of the disappeared brothers and petitioner in the case, on March 19, which was marked to a sub-inspector, and police are still "inquiring about the matter."

During his appearance, the SHO added that the petitioner's application had been assigned to a sub-inspector for investigation. Justice Minhas demanded a written investigation report by Monday, warning he would summon the Inspector General of Police if not provided.

The SHO, who failed to appear at the scheduled time but arrived later, informed the court that despite receiving the petitioner's application on March 19, police were still investigating and had not yet lodged an FIR. Despite counsel's insistence that the SHO explain this procedural lapse and apparent violation of the Criminal Procedure Code, the matter was adjourned until Monday for written comments from the respondents.

When the hearing resumed earlier today, the court issued a notice to the SHO of Police Station Noon to appear at 2:15 p.m. with a report. Justice Minhas remarked, "I don't want to order something which won't be implemented."

Justice Minhas overruled objections to the petition and initially scheduled the case for Monday. However, after lawyers and journalists emphasized the potentially life-threatening situation of the detainees, the judge acknowledged the urgency and directed the court office to process the petition for a hearing within 15 minutes.

Lawyers argue petition objections 'frivolous'

Advocates Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha, representing the petitioner, argued that objections to the petition were frivolous. They stated that the 64-year-old petitioner's sons were tortured in front of her before being forcibly abducted by plainclothed individuals.

Despite the petitioner submitting an application at the concerned police station, no FIR had been registered as of Friday, and the SHO reportedly did not respond to calls from the petitioner or her counsel over the past three days.

The petition remained unfixed until Friday morning, and only after the detainees' family, their lawyers, and journalists approached the Secretary of the Chief Justice of IHC to inquire about the delay and emphasize the urgency. The petition was subsequently assigned to recently appointed Judge Justice Inam Ameen Minhas.

The habeas corpus petition was filed by Ameena Basheer, mother of the allegedly forcibly disappeared brothers, Wednesday morning at the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The petition named the Federation of Pakistan (through Ministry of Interior), Ministry of Defense, Inspector General of Islamabad Police, and the SHO of Police Station Noon as respondents.

Details of midnight raid

According to Noorani's mother, uniformed police officers and plainclothed men stormed their house at 1:05 a.m. on Wednesday, staying for about 20 minutes. They allegedly took her two sons—both engineers, aged 39 and 30—and seized mobile phones belonging to her and her daughter.

"My sons were tortured in front of me, and I'm extremely worried about their well-being," she told Nukta. "I just want them to return safely."

A neighbor of Ameena Basheer told Nukta that he came home late at night when his family told him there was activity in the street. "I rushed to my house; a Parado and a couple of Elite Force pickup trucks were parked in the street. When I inquired to them about what's happening in the street, they said you can get inside your house because staying outside right now probably won't end well for you," he said.

Amnesty International condemned the alleged abduction, calling it part of a "relentless repression of dissent" and "a brazen attack on the right to freedom of expression."

The hearing has been adjourned until Monday.