October 18, 2024
By Shoukat Korai
KARACHI:
Sharif, a resident of Karachi, has been missing for the past 11 years. His family allege that he was taken away by the police in 2014 and remains missing even today.At the time of his disappearance, his children were very young, but they have since grown up. Today they ask their mother and grandmother when they will be able to see their father again.Sharif was taken by the police on September 20, 2014, from Abul Hassan Isphahani Road in Karachi. He was the sole breadwinner for his mother and children. After his arrest, his elderly mother continued to survive by collecting and selling old cardboard boxes and wooden crates.
The family claims Sharif was taken by a police inspector named Shoaib ‘Shooter’, who later demanded a ransom of five lakh rupees for his release.
Saira Bibi, Sharif’s elderly mother, has made numerous appeals to the authorities for her son’s release. “My son was abducted by (Inspector) Shoaib Shooter and since his disappearance I make ends meet by selling cartons and wooden crates,” a teary-eyed Saira Bibi tells Voicepk.net. Sharif was the sole breadwinner of the family. His mother has been knocking on all doors for the recovery of her son for the last 10 years, to no avail.Nazeeran Bibi, Sharif’s wife, says her mother-in-law is their lone provider and support. “Me and my children are surviving upon whatever meager food Sharif’s mother’s scavenging activities bring in,” she says. Nazeeran Bibi says her children do not go to school even, as they have to choose between food and school fees due to the hard times.
“I appeal to all authorities to get my husband released from the illegal captivity of Shoaib Shooter,” she adds.Sharif’s wife and his sister Zainab share their anguish. Zainab recounts that on the evening of his disappearance, Sharif had gone to the market to buy medicine for his young daughter. The child returned home crying, but Sharif never came back. Since then, the family has been knocking on the doors of the courts, searching for justice.Zainab says two days after police picked up Sharif, Shoaib ‘Shooter’ along with some uniformed policemen and others in civilian dresses raided their residence late at night.“The police searched the house and also took long Sharif’s younger brother,” she says. The younger brother was set free after 11 days but there has been no trace of Sharif ever since.
Zainab says that Sharif was abducted by Shoaib Shooter, who had demanded a ransom of five lakh rupees for his release. At the time, Shoaib Shooter was part of the team of Rao Anwar, the then-senior superintendent of police (SSP) of Malir, who is accused of conducting numerous extrajudicial killings, including that of Naqeebullah Mehsud.
“We were searching for our brother at Sachal Police Station when we spotted Shoaib Shooter there,” Zainab says.
The family complained to SSP Zulfiqar Mahar who then summoned Shoaib Shooter to his office.Zainab adds that they did not know what transpired between the two officials at the meeting. “Coming out of the meeting with the SSP, Shoaib Shooter told us to withdraw our petition in the court, promising that Sharif will be released in 20 days after that,” she recalls.
After 20 days the family went to the police station where Shoaib Shooter asked them for payment of five lakh rupees for Sharif’s release.After Rao Anwar was acquitted in the Naqeebullah case, Shoaib Shooter surrendered to the jail authorities. He remains in custody, but due to illness, he is frequently under treatment at the NICVD (National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases).A case against Shoaib Shooter, accusing him of kidnapping and demanding ransom from Sharif’s family, was filed following an order by the Sindh High Court.
However, the case, currently being heard in an Anti-Terrorism Court, is progressing slowly due to witnesses’ fear and intimidation, preventing them from appearing in court.The Sindh Witness Protection Act, 2013, guarantees the protection of witnesses involved in such cases. The non-implementation of the legislation is delaying justice for victims of gang warfare and extortionist cops. It is the court’s duty and the prosecution’s to protect the witnesses in such cases,” Barrister Ali Tahir points out.
It took about eight years to enact the Sindh witness protection law, which is comparable to legislation elsewhere in developed countries.“Under the law, there are provisions for safehouses for witnesses, concealment of their identity, and monetary compensation to witnesses in case of their death,” he explains.
However, Barrister Tahir, says that in reality, the law remains toothless due to its non-implementation, leaving witnesses and families of victims vulnerable to intimidation from accused terrorists, extortionist cops, and criminal gangs. “There have been some instances where witnesses were provided protection but the law remains unimplemented in terms of ambit and scope,” he adds.
Sharif’s family is demanding that the witnesses in the case should be provided with state protection so that justice can prevail.