November 3, 2025
Staff Report
KARACHI
However, despite the court’s clear order under Section 63 of the Criminal Procedure Code, both men were taken away again by police officials soon after the hearing, sparking strong condemnation from human rights groups, lawyers, and student organizations across Sindh.
According to court proceedings, Duty Judicial Magistrate (West) Karachi, heard the case against the two men, who were presented in a heavily guarded vehicle. The CTD had alleged that a hand grenade was recovered from their possession during a raid in Machhar Colony. Defense counsel Advocate Haseeb Panhwar argued that the men had already been in illegal custody before their arrest was officially shown and that the case was politically motivated. He presented a constitutional petition filed in the Sindh High Court regarding their disappearance and a Karachi Bar Association resolution expressing concern over their alleged abduction.
After reviewing the record and hearing the arguments, the magistrate ordered both men’s discharge under Section 63, directing the investigating officer to submit the final challan within the legal timeframe.
However, witnesses and family members said that as soon as the hearing concluded, police and CTD officials took both men away again, disregarding the court’s order.
Family’s Reaction
Speaking to the media after the hearing, Ghani Aman’s sister, Sindhu Aman Chandio, said her brother and fellow activist Sarmad Mirani were shown as arrested by the police after being missing for days, and that the court’s decision clearly established their innocence.
“The court’s order proved that my brother Ghani is not a terrorist. But despite being discharged, he was not released. Instead, police officials took him away again right from the court premises,” she said.
Sindhu added that her brother was earlier abducted from Memona Hospital in Karachi, where he had gone to visit his ill twin daughters. “We had some hope after the court hearing, but once again the police made him disappear,” she told reporters.
Lawyers Denounce “Defiance of Judicial Authority”
Lawyer and rights activist Aamir Nawaz Warraich, speaking to the media after the court hearing, criticized the police for openly defying a judicial order.
“Today, the judge discharged Ghani and Sarmad under Section 63, but unfortunately, our legal system is such that even a judge’s order carries no weight before the police,” he said. “The police not only ignored the court’s written order but also fled the premises with the accused in custody. When we confronted the investigating officer and asked how he could take them away despite the court’s order, he refused to listen.”
Warraich said this incident showed “a complete breakdown of judicial authority” and demanded strict action against the officials responsible.
CTD’s Position
CTD officials later claimed that new FIRs had been registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and that the suspects would be tried in the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC). SSP CTD Irfan Bahadur maintained that the remand had been granted by the duty magistrate and that the CTD was acting “within the legal framework.”
Human Rights Outcry
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and Amnesty International South Asia have both condemned the missing of Ghani Aman.
Amnesty International called the abduction of the student leader from the hospital on October 28 “a cruel and inhumane act, and a blatant attack on his rights to liberty, dignity, and due process.” The group urged authorities to immediately disclose his whereabouts and ensure his safe release, calling for a transparent and independent investigation into his disappearance.
The HRCP, in a separate statement, demanded Ghani’s recovery and accountability for those involved, warning that “arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances reflect the state’s continued policy of silencing political dissent.”
Student Leaders’ Reaction
Student leader Umair Lashari condemned the CTD’s actions in a post on social media, calling it “an open mockery of the law.”
“The unlawful act of abducting a citizen, especially from a hospital where his daughter was admitted, and now re-arresting him after being discharged by a court, is a grave threat to justice and the rule of law,” he wrote.
He said that the CTD’s refusal to follow the judicial order “marks a dangerous precedent” and demanded Ghani’s immediate release and strict accountability for those responsible.
Protests Spread in Sindh
Protests continued outside the Karachi Press Club and] in Hyderabad, led by nationalist and student groups including Jeay Sindh Mahaz-Riaz (JSM-R), Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM), and Jeay Sindh Qaum Parast Party (JSQPP).
In Hyderabad protes Riaz Ali Chandio, chairman of JSM-R, said the CTD’s actions showed a “complete collapse of law and respect for the judiciary.”
Meanwhile JSQM leader Dr. Niaz Kalani warned that enforced disappearances under the current government were deepening political polarization in Sindh.
Meanwhile, Sindhu Aman has already filed a constitutional petition in the Sindh High Court after missing of brother for her brother’s recovery, vowing to continue her efforts until Ghani Aman Chandio and Sarmad Mirani are safely released.