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Missing persons case takes dramatic turn
Police want Army generals to be probed
Thursday, April 08, 2010
By Umar Cheema
ISLAMABAD: A high profile missing persons case has taken a dramatic turn as the police are examining a sitting corps commander and two recently retired ISI officials whereas a former DG ISI, now a corps commander, is likely to be examined following a guarded disclosure by former attorney general Malik Qayyum.
Lt. Gen. Shafqaatullah, Corps Commander Multan, and two retired ISI officials, Brig. Mansoor Saeed and Col. Jehangir Akhtar, have submitted their statements to the Supreme Court through the police as they were allegedly in knowledge of where Masood Janjua had been kept.
Masood Janjua was picked up along with a friend in July 2005 in Rawalpindi and has been missing since then. Amina, his wife, has waged a movement for the last five years, demanding the release of her husband and others. There are more than 3,500 persons reportedly missing of which 250 cases have been taken up by the Supreme Court.
The police have told the Supreme Court they need to further probe these officials as their statements do not answer all the questions required for a thorough probe, a fact confirmed by Kamran Aadil, Superintendent Police, who is in-charge of the investigation.
Kamran Aadil told The News the police would send more questions to the concerned officials through the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Branch of the Pakistan Army. He appreciated the role of JAG Branch, which is fully cooperating with them.
When asked about the statements he had obtained, Kamran said they had been submitted to the court and he would not comment about them.
Another corps commander who previously headed the ISI is expected to be next to be examined as he is said to have told Malik Qayyum, the then attorney general, that Masood Janjua had been killed. His examination is required to determine how he knew and who killed Masood Janjua. Lt. Gen. Shafqaat and two ISI officials are being examined on the request of Amina Masood after she told the court that she had approached these officers and they had dropped hints about the whereabouts of her husband. Shafqaat was military secretary to the then President Pervez Musharraf. He is said to have informed Amina that they had learned through their informers that her husband was seen somewhere in Waziristan and was alive. But he had declined to share his source.
Now as the police have obtained Shafqaats statement, he backtracked from what he reportedly told Amina. His statement on a plain paper submitted to the court with his signature on it has been seen by The News. It said that his efforts to locate Janjua, initiated on the presidents directions, failed to trace the man.
Masoods father, a retired colonel of SSG, was senior to Musharraf and had asked him for help. Since Amina Janjua had also contacted him, Shafqaat wrote in his statement: I politely informed her that all requested details have already been communicated to her father-in-law and that I had nothing else to add.
Amina, talking to The News, contested the contents of Shafqaats statement, insisting that he had then said their informers had seen him (Masood Janjua) alive somewhere in Waziristan. She also demanded the corps commander be summoned before the court for cross-examination.
Col. Jahangir of ISI had frequently met Amina, visited her house many times and kept her waiting that she would soon hear a good news about her husband but the statement he has submitted to the court said: Its incorrect that she used to hold series of meetings with the undersigned and that I would inform her about the whereabouts of her husband.
Brigadier Mansoor Saeed, ex-Director ISI, Islamabad, said in his statement: I have never seen, met or interacted with any person named Mr. Masood Janjua nor have any knowledge of his whereabouts.
Mansoor was accused by Dr. Imran Munir that he had seen Janjua kept in an ISI safe-house located in Westridge, Rawalpindi. Imran, who himself remained in the ISIs custody, had submitted a sworn affidavit before the Supreme Court.
Malik Qayyum had told Hamid Mir of Geo TV that a powerful head of a powerful organisation had confirmed to him that Janjua had been killed.
As the police obtained a statement from Hamid Mir, he confirmed being told by Qayyum but said they should better ask him (Qayyum) about the powerful head. As the police approached Qayyum, he did not deny it and said that since it was a privileged secret passed on to him being the AG, he would disclose the name of the powerful head only before the court.
Police want Army generals to be probed
Thursday, April 08, 2010
By Umar Cheema
ISLAMABAD: A high profile missing persons case has taken a dramatic turn as the police are examining a sitting corps commander and two recently retired ISI officials whereas a former DG ISI, now a corps commander, is likely to be examined following a guarded disclosure by former attorney general Malik Qayyum.
Lt. Gen. Shafqaatullah, Corps Commander Multan, and two retired ISI officials, Brig. Mansoor Saeed and Col. Jehangir Akhtar, have submitted their statements to the Supreme Court through the police as they were allegedly in knowledge of where Masood Janjua had been kept.
Masood Janjua was picked up along with a friend in July 2005 in Rawalpindi and has been missing since then. Amina, his wife, has waged a movement for the last five years, demanding the release of her husband and others. There are more than 3,500 persons reportedly missing of which 250 cases have been taken up by the Supreme Court.
The police have told the Supreme Court they need to further probe these officials as their statements do not answer all the questions required for a thorough probe, a fact confirmed by Kamran Aadil, Superintendent Police, who is in-charge of the investigation.
Kamran Aadil told The News the police would send more questions to the concerned officials through the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Branch of the Pakistan Army. He appreciated the role of JAG Branch, which is fully cooperating with them.
When asked about the statements he had obtained, Kamran said they had been submitted to the court and he would not comment about them.
Another corps commander who previously headed the ISI is expected to be next to be examined as he is said to have told Malik Qayyum, the then attorney general, that Masood Janjua had been killed. His examination is required to determine how he knew and who killed Masood Janjua. Lt. Gen. Shafqaat and two ISI officials are being examined on the request of Amina Masood after she told the court that she had approached these officers and they had dropped hints about the whereabouts of her husband. Shafqaat was military secretary to the then President Pervez Musharraf. He is said to have informed Amina that they had learned through their informers that her husband was seen somewhere in Waziristan and was alive. But he had declined to share his source.
Now as the police have obtained Shafqaats statement, he backtracked from what he reportedly told Amina. His statement on a plain paper submitted to the court with his signature on it has been seen by The News. It said that his efforts to locate Janjua, initiated on the presidents directions, failed to trace the man.
Masoods father, a retired colonel of SSG, was senior to Musharraf and had asked him for help. Since Amina Janjua had also contacted him, Shafqaat wrote in his statement: I politely informed her that all requested details have already been communicated to her father-in-law and that I had nothing else to add.
Amina, talking to The News, contested the contents of Shafqaats statement, insisting that he had then said their informers had seen him (Masood Janjua) alive somewhere in Waziristan. She also demanded the corps commander be summoned before the court for cross-examination.
Col. Jahangir of ISI had frequently met Amina, visited her house many times and kept her waiting that she would soon hear a good news about her husband but the statement he has submitted to the court said: Its incorrect that she used to hold series of meetings with the undersigned and that I would inform her about the whereabouts of her husband.
Brigadier Mansoor Saeed, ex-Director ISI, Islamabad, said in his statement: I have never seen, met or interacted with any person named Mr. Masood Janjua nor have any knowledge of his whereabouts.
Mansoor was accused by Dr. Imran Munir that he had seen Janjua kept in an ISI safe-house located in Westridge, Rawalpindi. Imran, who himself remained in the ISIs custody, had submitted a sworn affidavit before the Supreme Court.
Malik Qayyum had told Hamid Mir of Geo TV that a powerful head of a powerful organisation had confirmed to him that Janjua had been killed.
As the police obtained a statement from Hamid Mir, he confirmed being told by Qayyum but said they should better ask him (Qayyum) about the powerful head. As the police approached Qayyum, he did not deny it and said that since it was a privileged secret passed on to him being the AG, he would disclose the name of the powerful head only before the court.
