ISLAMABAD – Expressing dissatisfaction over the progress so far made in the recovery of missing persons, the Supreme Court on Wednesday summoned the interior minister, provincial home ministers, home secretaries and inspectors general of police of all the provinces.
A three-member SC bench, comprising Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed and Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, heard the cases of missing persons one by one. The court observed that parliament should legislate to combat militancy and detention of alleged militants. It also warned that if FIRs were on the complaints of families of the missing persons not registered, the court would take action against the IG concerned.
Justice Iqbal observed that security agencies were not above the law and the court would take action if evidence of their involvement in picking up people was found. Regarding the worsening law and order in Balochistan, he said foreign hand could not be denied in the province, adding that Punjabis and Sindhis were also being killed in Balochistan.
The court sought comprehensive report from the IGs concerned in the cases of Zakir Majid, Sami Ibrahim, Saifur Rehman Bangish and Mustafa Azam, who are allegedly picked up by spy agencies. The court also directed the Sindh IG to submit a report over the missing workers of MQM on the next date of hearing.
The court directed the judicial commission formed for the recovery of the missing people, to give a fair opportunity to the heirs of the missing persons to get their statements recorded. “With the efforts of the SC, 211 people have been recovered, however the number of the disappeared people is increasing day by day,” Justice Iqbal noted.
Justice Ahmed said why the government had not taken up the issue in parliament and whether it was scared of spy agencies. Amna Masood Janjua, chairwoman of the Defence of Human Rights informed the bench that the number of missing persons had increased from 311 to 347.
Earlier, IG Balochistan submitted a report over disappeared persons.
