IHC orders recovery of missing NCCIA deputy director within three days
Pakistan
IHC gave police three days to recover missing NCCIA Deputy Director Muhammad Usman; his wife, who filed the petition, is also missing. Court warned top officials to appear if no progress is made
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday granted a three-day deadline to the police for the recovery of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) Deputy Director Muhammad Usman, who was allegedly abducted from the capital city under suspicious circumstances.
Justice Muhammad Azam Khan expressed serious concern over the law enforcement's failure to trace the missing officer.
The court further warned that if the officer is not recovered within the stipulated time, both the central director of NCCIA and the Inspector General (IG) Islamabad will be required to appear in person before the court.
The petition was filed by Muhammad Usman’s wife, Rozina Usman, through her lawyer Raja Rizwan Abbasi.
However, during proceedings, it was revealed that Rozina Usman herself is now untraceable. Her lawyer informed the court that she had contacted him earlier, stating she was under pressure to withdraw the petition, and has since gone missing. Her phone has reportedly been switched off.
Abbasi further claimed that Muhammad Usman had been working on sensitive cases before he was abducted in a white Toyota Corolla with a fake number plate, as seen in CCTV footage. He urged the court to summon top police officials and the NCCIA director, citing the seriousness of the case.
In response, police representatives told the court that efforts are ongoing and that they hoped to recover the missing officer by the evening.
They requested a seven-day extension, but the court allowed only three days and ordered immediate action.
Justice Azam Khan remarked that if the abducting vehicle had a suspicious plate, it raised serious questions about how it was moving freely within the city despite checkpoints and surveillance cameras. He instructed the authorities to trace calls pressuring the petitioner via Call Detail Records (CDRs) and emphasised that the matter would not be taken lightly.
The Assistant Attorney General confirmed that an FIR had been lodged and requested the court to allow time for proper investigation.
The hearing was adjourned until later this week.
