ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday granted police a three-day ultimatum to locate and recover the deputy director of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), who was reportedly abducted from the capital city last week.
Presiding over a petition concerning the alleged kidnapping of NCCIA Deputy Director Muhammad Usman, Justice Muhammad Azam Khan ordered that the heads of the NCCIA and the Islamabad police must appear in person before the court if the officer is not recovered within the stipulated timeframe.
The petition follows a First Information Report (FIR) registered at the Shams Colony Police Station by the officer’s wife, Rozina Usman. In her complaint, she stated that her husband, who serves as Deputy Director (Operations) at the NCCIA and is involved in several sensitive projects, was forcibly taken by four unidentified armed men. The incident occurred on October 14 at approximately 7:30 PM, when the assailants, traveling in a white Toyota Corolla, abducted him at gunpoint. Police have registered the case and initiated a search operation.
During today’s proceedings, a new development emerged as the petitioner, Rozina Usman, was also reported as missing.
Her legal counsel, Advocate Raja Rizwan Abbasi, informed the court, “I do not know the whereabouts of the petitioner; I fear she has also been taken.” He further stated, “The petitioner called me and said that she is being pressured to withdraw the petition,” adding that Deputy Director Usman had been working on significant cases and was abducted in a white vehicle. “Now the petitioner’s phone is switched off, and all contact has been lost,” the lawyer concluded.
Responding to Advocate Abbasi’s plea to summon the NCCIA director and the Islamabad Inspector General, police officials assured the court they would attempt to recover Usman by this evening but requested a seven-day investigation period.
The petitioner’s lawyer also presented evidence, noting, “CCTV footage shows he was kidnapped in a suspicious vehicle with a fake license plate.”
Justice Khan questioned this, asking, “If the vehicle’s number plate was suspicious, how was it being driven around Islamabad?” He remarked on the gravity of the situation, stating, “This is a very serious matter; there are checkpoints in the city and CCTV cameras installed everywhere.”
The judge issued a stern warning to the police, saying, “You must get him back; otherwise, we will also start what the other benches are doing.” He further directed the police to obtain the call data records (CDR) to trace the individuals who pressured the petitioner.
The Assistant Attorney General, present in court, confirmed that a case had been registered and appealed for more time to allow the police to conduct their investigation.
