RAWALPINDI: Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Asif Ghafoor on Friday said that the responsibility of all missing persons does not lie with the state as many such individuals are either involved with militants in conflict zones or have been killed fighting against the state.
“Our hearts go with the families of missing persons being Pakistanis. However, we must realise that not every person missing is attributable to the state,” the ISPR DG said in his meeting with Defence of Human Rights Chairperson Amina Janjua on Friday.
Discussing the issue of missing persons, he said that individuals under state custody were being treated according to the law whereas many had joined militant organisations such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan and other conflict zones, according to the ISPR.
“Moreover, there are many who got killed fighting as part of TTP against the state of Pakistan,” he said. “Such individuals are also to be accounted somewhere while listing the missing persons.”
“The ISPR DG apprised her about the efforts that government and security forces are doing to facilitate them and address the issue for which judicial commission is working day and night,” the statement added.
Ghafoor, the communiqué said, also informed Janjua about the special directions and the constitution of special assistance cell at General Headquarters (GHQ) in this regard.
Janjua acknowledged the state and security forces’ efforts and for their empathy and support.
She, according to the ISPR, reiterated the pledge that affected families shall not allow any anti-state force to exploit their emotions against the interest of Pakistan.
“She posed full confidence in the state for getting the issue a logical closure,” the statement concluded.
