The state of Pakistan has assured the Islamabad High Court (IHC) of the return of every allegedly missing person to their families.
The Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) on behalf of the state and law enforcement agencies submitted an undertaking to the court assuring that every allegedly missing person will have a return to his family. The court issued an order making this undertaking its part. Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani authored this four-page verdict which addresses various aspects of this matter.
The AGP highlighted that the Ministerial Committee on Enforced Disappearances has formulated recommendations which, after approval by the federal cabinet, will be submitted to the IHC.
The AGP pleaded that resolving the issue of missing persons necessitates a political solution. During the hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer, Iman Mazari also provided the AGP with a list of three missing students. the court also required updates on the status of these three individuals at the next hearing which is June 14, 2024.
The court order outlined the formation of a committee to investigate cases of missing persons. It approved the inclusion of high-ranking officers from key intelligence agencies. The Director Generals (DGs) of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Military Intelligence (MI), and Intelligence Bureau (IB) are required to appoint their second-highest officers to the committee. Additionally, the committee may include officials from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD). The order also indicates that previous arrangements concerning the Committee on Enforced Disappearances, which involved the DGs of secret agencies, are being revised. This restructuring aims to enhance the effectiveness of the committee in addressing the complex issue of enforced disappearances.
The decision by the IHC emphasizes the crucial need for collaboration between various government and intelligence agencies to ensure that all missing persons are found and safely reunited with their families. The Attorney General’s submission was officially included in the court’s order. It stated, “The Attorney General asserts that a detailed response will be provided before the next hearing date, and he also assures, on behalf of the State and law enforcement agencies, that every individual who has allegedly disappeared or is missing will be reunited with their family.”
The four-page order was issued in relation to a case about the implementation of the recommendations of the commission on Baloch missing persons. AGP Awan also argued that he has taken specific measures to resolve the long-standing issue related to the participation of officials in order to achieve the goals outlined in the commission’s report with the highest authorities. He assured the court that the cabinet’s recommendation regarding the ministerial committee on enforced disappearance would be shared with the court and would be considered as a way forward. (By Rana Kashif)