A day after the Islamabad High Court said it would summon intelligence officials in the case of a missing person, Islamabad police presented 27-year-old Haseeb Hamza an hour before the court-provided deadline ended on Wednesday.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah had given the deadline on Tuesday while hearing a petition filed by Hamza’s father. The jurist told the Islamabad police official that he would summon each and every official - including Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Military Intelligence (MI) - to explain the failure of the state in protecting its citizens.

On Wednesday, an hour before the 10am deadline, the Islamabad Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr Akbar Nasir Khan appeared in the court along with Hamza.

In the hearing, Justice Minallah inquired from Hamza where he was kept during the time that he was ‘missing’. He informed the court that he had been kept blindfolded and was unaware of the location where he was kept.

The petition, filed by Hamza’s father Zulkiqar Ali, said that his son, who is a farmer in Layyah, was taken into custody in a raid on the night of August 22 and 23. It says that about 20 people entered the house without any warrant. Around 15 of these people were wearing black uniform. During the search, electronic items including laptops and cell phones were seized as well. The petitioner also stated that the police had only registered an FIR after a court order.

Justice Minallah then inquired from the police about the abduction and the delay in the registration of the first information report (FIR).

“It was a request for habeas corpus. The police should have taken immediate action on the request of the father. Someone has to be held responsible in the investigation,” he remarked.

The police informed the court that it was investigating both. The IHC ordered the IGP to personally supervise the inquiry and submit a report at the next hearing on September 22.

Meanwhile, Islamabad Advocate General Jahangir Jadoon informed that he would hold a meeting regarding missing persons.

Justice Minallah replied that the court wasn’t intersted in hearing about meetings. He said the court wanted to know who abducted Haseeb Hamza.

Later, Islamabad police tweeted an image of Hamza and his father to announce that the ‘missing’ person had been reunited with his family.