Many still missing
Seven prisoners in the custody of ISI and MI were finally produced in the Supreme Court. Picked up more than a year and a half back, four of the original 11 died in custody. The seven survivors looked frail and unable to talk or walk properly. The apex court ordered a full medical examination and filing of reports about their health every four days. The court also directed not to shift the prisoners to the Parachinar internment centre so long as the matter remained pending before it. The measures were badly needed. They were, however, no more than palliatives.
While acts of terrorism must not be condoned, the accused have to be treated as innocent till pronounced guilty by a court. The arrests have to be made lawfully and only by those authorised to do so. Those in custody have to be treated in accordance with law. The requirements are being widely violated as numerous media reports indicate. The present case is just a tip of the iceberg. In Balochistan, there have been scores, if not hundreds, of cases of forced disappearances. Dead bodies bearing signs of torture are found on the roadside almost every other week. On Monday, the bullet-ridden body of BRP leader Sangat Sana, who was reported to have been taken away by the agencies two years back, was discovered near Turbat. This is an utter violation of the constitution which ensures freedom of life, the basic most human right, for every citizen.
The credit goes to the SC to have recovered numerous missing persons. What has not been done so far is to affix the responsibility and bring to law those who ordered the disappearances, torture and custodial killings. The scale of disappearances and suspected custodial killings creates a perception of the illegal acts being conducted as a well thought out policy. There is a need on the part of the SC to find out and make accountable those responsible, irrespective of their position. Rule of law allows no exceptions. Unless this happens justice would not be seen to have been done.