The Peshawar High Court has directed the investigating officer to appear at the next hearing in a petition challenging the alleged abduction of provincial minister Fazal Shakur Khan.

The petition was heard by a two-member bench comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Kamran Hayat Miankhel.

During the hearing, Justice Ijaz Anwar asked who had abducted the provincial minister and what the police were doing. The court also asked whether an FIR had been registered, to which the government lawyer replied that a case had been registered.

Justice Ijaz Anwar remarked that if an FIR had already been registered, what could the court do, adding that the authorities should tell the court where the provincial minister was so that the court could go there.

Petitioner’s lawyer Bashir Khan Wazir told the court that Fazal Shakur Khan is a provincial minister and has been a member of the provincial assembly since 2013. He said the minister was allegedly abducted in broad daylight near the Peshawar Motorway toll plaza.

The petition stated that armed men in plain clothes opened fire on the tyres of the provincial minister’s vehicle.

Justice Ijaz Anwar observed that police, excise and other departments had checkpoints on the opposite side of the road from where the minister was allegedly abducted, yet they appeared to be merely watching.

The petitioner’s lawyer said the kind of firing involved in the incident had not even been witnessed in Palestine. He further said that the provincial assembly speaker had summoned the inspector general of police, but the IG did not appear.

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Justice Ijaz Anwar remarked that this was a weakness on their part.

Additional Advocate General Bilal Khan Khalil said a judicial inquiry should be conducted into the recent incidents. Justice Ijaz Anwar said the matter could be considered if the provincial government submitted a request for it.

AAG Bilal Khan Khalil said that a request for a judicial commission had also been made in the May 9 case, but the High Court had not agreed to it. He said the consent of the Chief Justice of the High Court was necessary for the formation of a judicial commission.

The court directed the investigating officer to appear at the next hearing and adjourned the hearing until September 25.