The Islamabad High Court is furthering the Govt Struggles investigation into the problematic case of PTI founder Imran Khan’s focal person, Intizar Panjotha, who has gone missing. The court has requested a report from the Ministry of Defense to understand what happened to him.
Chronology of Events Govt Struggles
The hearing commenced with the attendance of the Inspector General (IG) Islamabad, who the Chief Justice questioned. The Chief Justice emphasized the urgency of the scenario when he inquired about when Panjotha was last seen. As per the counsel representing Panjotha, the previous time Panjotha was seen was F-6, and nothing is known about him since then. This raised severe eyebrows about the efforts made so far to unveil the mystery.
Whose Duty is to Protect the Citizens?
To answer the Chief Justice’s questions, the IG Islamabad informed us of how the law has tried to assist in finding Panjotha. The team is, therefore, using telecom surveillance and safe city cameras to trace Pon Jak and his movements.
The IG indicated that surveillance cameras at Ayoob Chowk and F-6 captured Panjotha’s vehicle, confirming his presence at the premises before he went missing. Additionally, reports revealed that he traveled as far as Faizabad with Advocate Mirza Asif, but no further details are available regarding his onward journey.
Evidence and Investigative Challenges Govt Struggles
Similarly, the IG also pointed out another significant development related to the case: a mobile number linked to Panjotha’s case has come to the EFA ce and works well on WhatsApp. The officials have been trying to investigate the whereabouts of the suspected person with the help of WhatsApp location traced by the Intelligence Bureau (IB). As per the views of the IG, notwithstanding as much exertion, it still has not turned any promising investigative direction till now. The forfeiture of the last sighting of Panjotha’s vehicle was at Ayoob Chowk, but instead, Advocate Mirza Asif said he had last seen him in Faizabad.
The Chief Justice Brought Up Some Issues
Chief Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha raised issues regarding the challenges that some law enforcement agencies, such as the Police, are facing while searching for Panjotha. He also reiterated that there is a need to account for the ongoing investigation since there was no clarity and asked the IG to give a clear picture of the report on the issue.
With sarcasm in the middle of serious proceedings, the Chief Justice said that if the IG had a pouch with an answer to that riddle, he would have used all his skills to fetch back Panjotha. In general terms, as this comment indicates, more and more people question why the investigation takes so long.
Conclusion: Adjournment and Next Steps
After detailed discussions, the Islamabad High Court resolved to defer the hearing on the issues about the recovery of Intizar Panjotha to the following day. The ruling emphasizes the security concerns surrounding Panjotha and the detailed scrutiny of the situation. The jurisdiction will now look forward to the Ministry of Defense’s excretion of what fortifying information may help unearth Panjotha as the circumstances unfold.
