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The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has sought a reply from the country's naval authorities and the Margalla police station on a petition seeking the recovery of a 'missing' naval officer.
IHC Justice Arbab Mohammad Tahir issued notices to the naval authorities and the SHO and sought their reply by April 26, Dawn reported. The petition cited the secretary of defence, commanding officer Pakistan Naval Service (PNS) Zafar and the station house officer Margalla as respondents. The petition stated that Lieutenant Hafiz Mohammad Habibullah was inducted into Pakistan Navy and after completing his initial training from the Pakistan Naval Academy he was granted of short service commission and was transferred to PNS Zafar on Sept 11, 2019. According to the petition, the officer was under mental stress because of the behaviour of his seniors. On Sept 14, 2022, Naval Intelligence arrested him. He was released after one day and was again picked up on October 26, 2022, and was released after two days, Dawn reported. The petition said that the commanding officer forced the officer to resign from service. However, the officer filed a representation before the competent authority under section 23 of the Pakistan Navy Ordinance 1961 against alleged ill-treatment meted out to him. On April 12, 2023, the officer went to his office in PNS Zafar as per his routine. At around 2 pm, he sent a message to his father that his commanding officer was calling him, the petition said, adding that after a few hours when the officer did not come back to his home his father tried to contact him but to no avail, Dawn reported. His father went to the office at PNS Zafar but the staff expressed ignorance about his whereabouts. The commanding officer also declined his request for a meeting, the petition added. He then went to the police station Margalla to lodge a First Information Report (FIR) regarding the missing of his son, Dawn reported. The police officials contacted the Naval Police about the matter and on their instruction refused to entertain his application seeking registration of the FIR, the petition added. It requested the court to issue directions to the naval authorities and police to recover the officer. (ANI)
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