Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Chaudhry, on Friday, ordered a paramilitary commander to produce 30 people in court, saying there was evidence that the troops were involved in their disappearance.
It is the latest effort from judges designed to bring powerful military and intelligence agencies to book over mass arrests of alleged terror suspects, who are never seen again.
The CJ ordered Baluchistan Frontier Corps commander Major General Obaidullah Khattak to produce the missing before the court in the provincial capital Quetta on July 24.
The 30 people were allegedly abducted in Totak Khuzdar district in February 2011. The military has been accused of rights violations in its bid to put down a separatist insurgency in the southwest province of Baluchistan.
“It is his (Khattak’s) duty to comply with the court orders and affect the recovery of missing persons and produce them,” the CJ said.
He rejected the commander’s denial of responsibility as “unacceptable… in the wake of evidence against the force in picking up missing persons”.
Judge Jawad S Khawaja said medical reports showed that two other tribesmen, whose case is also being investigated, were shot at close range.
“If there are some rogue elements in the force, they should be exposed,” Khawaja said.
SC tells general to recover 30 missing
