The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday granted police three days to recover the missing deputy director of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), warning that if he is not found within the deadline, the agency’s central director and the inspector general of police will be summoned in person.

Justice Muhammad Azam Khan issued the directive while hearing the case, during which it was also revealed that the petitioner, the missing official’s wife, Rozina Usman, has herself gone missing.

The judge remarked that the police must ensure the recovery of the abducted officer, cautioning, “Otherwise, we will begin doing what other benches have been doing.”

During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel, Raja Rizwan Abbasi, informed the court that Rozina Usman’s whereabouts were unknown and expressed concern that she might also have been picked up.

He added that Rozina had called him earlier, saying she was under pressure to withdraw the petition, but her phone has since been switched off.

Police informed the court they were making efforts to recover the missing officer and hoped to locate him by Monday evening, but requested a week’s extension.

Abbasi argued that the vehicle used in the abduction had a fake number plate. Justice Azam questioned how a vehicle with suspicious registration could move freely in Islamabad despite checkpoints and CCTV cameras, calling it “a very serious matter.”

He also directed the authorities to obtain call data records (CDRs) of the phone numbers used to pressure the petitioner.

The court then adjourned the hearing, granting police three days to ensure the recovery of the missing officer.