The Human Rights Commission Pakistan (HRCP) called upon Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to immediately launch a drive to put an end to the enforced disappearance of citizens and to finish the impunity for this illegal practice.
In a letter sent to Nawaz on the eve of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances (August 30), the HRCP urged him to “immediately act to make the horrible crime of enforced disappearances and impunity for that crime a thing of the past in Pakistan”.
The HRCP noted that enforced disappearances “had spread terror and insecurity, not just among the victims and their families but also in the society as a whole for over a decade now”. It said that although the issue had been taken up at the highest level, it remained unresolved.
“With the formation of a new government and since you as its head were acutely aware of the seriousness of the issue, the HRCP had dared to hope that there will be greater resolve to eliminate this practice that must not have any place in any society that considers itself civilised,” the HRCP stated.
The commission expressed “extreme concern that citizens are being picked up even today and bodies of missing persons are being dumped. This state of affairs is adding to the suffering of the families of the missing persons, causing unrest among the citizens and making it difficult for them to restart having confidence in the state”.
The HRCP called upon the Nawaz to take all necessary measures to make this horrible practice history, and urged him to order all state agencies to cooperate in the recovery of all missing individuals.
Moreover, the commission called for him to help end the widespread impunity for enforced disappearances. The HRCP said the over the last few weeks, several state functionaries were identified for involvement in enforced disappearances, adding that they hoped that the earliest possible start of proceedings against them would contribute at least a little to the people’s confidence.
The commission also asked him to arrange a payment of compensation for the families of the missing persons as they had been suffering for years.
